Germany is coming too: they can take armored vehicles to Ukraine

According to the Süddeutsche Zeitung and dpa News Agency, the Ministry of Defense supports the Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) program, one of the largest in the German defense field, with about 50 ballots of anti-aircraft guns and radar, an armored vehicle previously used by the German military (Bundes).

The manufacturer has been trying for weeks to advance the cause, which has been hampered by opposition from many within the largest ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD) to support what Ukraine calls so-called heavy weapons. Because weapons are not used much .. This problem is still solved with the help of countries that have Gepard air shields in their forces, writes the Süddeutsche Zeitung, exemplifying Brazil. They added that the Ukrainian military was not well aware of the system and therefore needed training before using it.

Rheinmetall, KMW’s main competitor, sells vehicles to Ukraine. The company has applied for permission to export 100 mortar shells, government spokesman Stephen Hepstreet said at a conference in Berlin on Monday. According to press reports, Rhinemett will also supply 88 Leopard-1 tanks to the Ukrainian military. The company’s offer includes personnel training, maintenance training, tools, spare parts, service base in Germany and ammunition in Germany.

Germany is one of the largest arms exporters, generally the third largest exporter after the United States and Russia. Export transactions require the approval of the so-called Federal Security Council, which includes the president and several government ministers. The committee discusses applications for permits on camera, even the agenda of meetings is strictly confidential and not accountable to parliament or the public. Government reports on the growth of exports in the military sector provide only brief data on its activities.

On the third day of the Russian war against Ukraine, on February 26, the central government decided to send arms to the Ukrainian army, changing its position against denying arms exports to crisis zones.

It has been decided to set up a fund of 100 billion euros to improve Germany’s defense capabilities and to spend more than two percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defense each year.

The large-scale military development reversal in German policy since the start of arms transfers to Ukraine and the end of the Cold War has exceeded the two per cent GDP security budget expected of NATO members. The government argues that the Russian war against Ukraine is a turning point in European history and that a new policy is needed in the new era to defend the country, independence and democracy.

Berlin has so far supported Ukraine in so-called light weapons for defense against Russian troops, mainly in the defense of shoulder-to-shoulder missiles.

Recognition of heavy arms exports is the result of increasing domestic and foreign policy tensions over the weeks, according to press reports.

The announcement is expected on Tuesday at the Rammstein US air base in the Kaiserslautern region of the Rhineland-Palatinate, where representatives of more than 30 countries are discussing how to further support Ukrainian defense forces against Russia at the invitation of US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

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