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Germany will allow the Netherlands to transfer 400 rocket-propelled grenade launchers to Ukraine, marking a major shift in Berlin's restrictive arms export policy.

Germany has come under intense criticism for its response to Russia. The government's responsibilities prevented it from shipping arms to conflict zones, and it had previously blocked other NATO allies from transferring German-origin weapons to Ukraine.

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After Russia attacked, Ukraine must be able to defend itself. It has a right to defend itself. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck said in a statement that the German government is supporting Ukraine.

Germany is the largest economy and most powerful country in the European Union, making its voice and policy positions critical to the effectiveness of the West's response to Russia's invasion.

  • Germany is dependent on Russian natural gas and was an obstacle in discussions about imposing the toughest sanctions on Moscow.

  • The certification of the Russia-to-Germany Nord Stream 2 pipeline was one of the toughest measures that Germany had opposition to.

The EU is working toward an agreement to remove Russia from the SWIFT financial system, a step that Germany had previously opposed along with Italy and Hungary.

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  • A spokesman for the defence ministry said that the approval had been confirmed by the chancellery. Germany has a long-standing policy of not exporting weapons to war zones because of its bloody 20th century history. First, countries need to apply for approval in Berlin.

  • NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday that NATO would continue to send weapons to Ukraine, including air defences, while saying that Russia was trying to topple the Ukrainian government. He said that some of the NATO allies had announced the type of weapons that they would give to Ukraine.

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  • The secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization is urging all parties to take steps to ensure safe passage across the seas.

  • Russia sees its military coordination with Israel over Syria continuing, the Russianembasy said on Saturday. Following the Russian intervention in the Syrian civil war, Israel set up a deconfliction mechanism with the big power to prevent them clashing inadvertently during Israeli strikes against Iranian deployment and arms transfers in the neighboring Arab state.

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  • Artis Pabriks, the Defence Minister of Latvia, said on Friday that the presence of NATO troops in his country sent a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The group of U.S. service members arrived in Italy early on Thursday. Russia invaded Ukraine by land, sea and air on Thursday after massing more than 150,000 troops around the country.

  • Russia's use of the SWIFT system for its energy exports has mixed support as a sanction and it could lead to more digital currency regulations if Putin decides to use digital currency.

  • George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter have spoken out against the events that have taken place. According to The Hill, former president Barack Obama has joined voices of the international community stating Russia's attack is a violation of international law and basic principles of human decency.

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