Kyiv: Secretary of State Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba on Saturday condemned Germany because of his rejection to supply weapons to Kyiv, urging Berlin to stop “congressing unity” and “pushing Vladimir Putin” amid fears of Russian invasion.
In a separate development, the German Navy Chief Kay-Achim Schoenbach announced his resignation on Saturday night, after Ukraine called the German ambassador to Ukraine, to protest the statement, the Deputy Admiral had made a crisis.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kyiv emphasized the “weakness” of Schoenbach’s comments, who said the idea that Russia wanted to attack Ukraine was “bullshit”, and that Putin might deserve to be respected.
With tens of thousands of Russian troops gathered at the Ukrainian border, fear increased so that large conflicts could break in Europe.
Ukrainian calls to the West Allies to improve their defense capabilities have seen the United States, the United Kingdom and the Baltic country agreed to send to Kyiv weapons, including anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.
Kuleba said on Twitter that German statement “about the impossibility of supplying defense weapons to Ukraine” does not match the “current security situation”.
The Minister of Ukraine stressed that “Today the Western Unity in connection with Russia is more important than before.
“German partners must stop damaging unity with such words and actions and encouraging (Russian President) Vladimir Putin to launch a new attack in Ukraine,” Kuleba said.
Ukraine “thanks” to Germany for the support provided, but “the current statement is disappointing”, he added.
‘Deep disappointment’
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ukraine added in a statement that wanted to express “deep disappointment” on “the failure of the German government to provide defense weapons to Ukraine”.
Previously on Saturday German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said Berlin would send a field hospital to Ukraine, once again rejected the call of Kyiv weapons.
Berlin has carried out the respirator to Ukraine and the severe injured Ukrainian army is currently being treated at the Bundeswehr hospital, he told the Welt Am Sonntag newspaper.
“Weapon delivery will not help at this time – it is a consensus in the government,” Lambrecht said.
Moscow confirmed that there were no plans to attack Ukraine but at the same time put a series of security demands – including the ban on Ukraine joined NATO – in exchange for escalation.
The German Navy Chief Schoenbach said that in the meantime he had submitted his resignation “to avoid damage to the German Navy and above all, to the German Federal Republic”.
He had explained in the initial tweet on Saturday that his comments – made at the think-tank meeting in New Delhi on Friday – did not represent the government’s view and had been suggested.
A German defense ministry official told AFP Schoenbach would leave his post “with a direct effect”. Previously, the ministry statement made it clearly Vice-Admiral’s comments did not reflect German position.
In the video posted online Schoenbach said Putin “must be respected”.
“It’s easy to give him the respect he wants, and maybe it’s worth it too,” he said in the video.
Russian troops were included on the Ukrainian border, along with the tank warehouse, fighting vehicles, artillery and missiles.
Even though Moscow denied plans to attack, the White House said it believed that the attack could now come “at any point”.