Germany has provoked outrage in some quarters after it offered to supply 5,000 military helmets to Ukraine to help defend against a possible Russian invasion.
The U.S. and U.K. have sent military hardware to Ukraine to help it defend itself from a possible Russian military aggression, but Germany has been reluctant to send equipment.
The offer of helmets was met with mockery from some officials. The offer was dismissed as a joke by the mayor and former world champion boxer Vitali Klitschko.
The German government's behavior leaves me speechless. The defence ministry apparently hasn't realized that we are confronted with perfectly equipped Russian forces that can start another invasion of Ukraine at any time.
He asked, "What kind of support will Germany send next?"
The Defence Minister said Berlin was responding to a request for helmets. The German government received a request from Ukraine for 100,000 combat helmets and tactical vests, according to the newspaper.
German officials have appeared reluctant to send more defensive weapons despite the fact that Germany has previously said it will supply a fully equipped field hospital to Ukraine.
Germany's defense minister said in an interview that sending arms to Ukraine would not be helpful while there are ongoing attempts to calm tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
We are standing on the other side of the city. To de-escalate, we have to do everything. According to a translation byDeutsche Welle, Lambrecht told the paper last Saturday that arms deliveries would not be helpful in this respect.
Germany has not supported the export of lethal weapons in recent years, according to the Chancellor.
According to a report in The Wall Street Journal last Friday, Germany has blocked Baltic nation Estonia from providing military support to Ukraine.
After years of tension on Europe's doorstep, Germany's new chancellor said that staying silent is not a sensible option.
The Western military alliance does not have to defend Ukraine because it is not a member. It is not a member of the EU.
NATO allies are faced with an unenviable position where they are bound to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia, which wants to extend its influence in former Soviet states.
Russia took over territory from Ukraine after its annexation of the peninsula. It supports a pro-Russian uprising in eastern Ukraine and is thought to have supplied pro-Russian rebels in the Donbass region.
Many analysts think that Russia is looking for a pretext to invade because of its recent aggression against Ukraine. NATO has reinforced its positions in Eastern Europe with more ships and fighter jets and is not taking chances.
The U.S. has put thousands of troops on heightened alert, meaning they are ready to deploy should the crisis get worse. Sky News reported that the U.K. is considering sending hundreds of more troops to eastern Europe to bolster NATO forces.
The third shipment of $200 million in assistance authorized by President Joe Biden was delivered on Tuesday, according to the U.S. embassy in the capital. The package includes other anti-armor systems, grenade launchers, munitions and non-lethal equipment that is essential to the front line defenders of Ukraine.
Russia has repeatedly said it does not plan to invade Ukraine, but it has asked NATO for legal assurances that it will never be admitted to the alliance, and it wants to see a reduction of NATO deployment in Eastern Europe.
The United States officially responded to Russia's security demands on Wednesday with a written response from the ambassador to Russia. The Biden administration made clear that some of the demands of Russia, including barring Ukraine from joining the NATO alliance, are non-starters.
Germany is in a tricky position when it comes to Russia because it has traditionally enjoyed strong economic ties and trade with the country. The fate of the Nord Stream 2 project has been the focus of current tensions.
The EU already gets around 40% of its natural gas from Russia, and the new route will increase that by taking them directly to Germany.
The scars of World War I and World War II are ingrained in Germany's political conscience, making it an easy target for criticism and possible condemnation.
Donald Trump's Energy Secretary Rick Perry told CNBC on Wednesday that he was very concerned about what he saw on the Ukrainian border.
I am very critical of Germany because of their lack of resolve dealing with Russia. He told CNBC that the Germans wanted to work with the Russians to control where the gas went.
He said that Germany is paying a price for playing footsies with the Russians and giving them the opportunity to finish the Nord Stream 2 pipe. He said that it is nothing more than a way to hold Europe hostage.
The U.S., U.K. and EU have indicated that they will impose severe sanctions on Russia if it invades Ukraine. President Joe Biden has said that he could personally sanction his Russian counterpart.
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