On 14 May, Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz has joined forces with leaders of the Nordic nations to urgently call for boosting military assistance to Ukraine, especially air defense systems, as Kyiv struggles to repel Russia’s new offensive in the northeast, AFP reported.
Russia intensified its aerial attacks against Ukraine targeting primarily the country’s power generation and distribution facilities, while taking advantage of the six-month-long delay in the US military aid, which caused ammunition shortages in Ukraine. Last week, Russia launched a new offensive on Kharkiv Oblast’s north across the border.
During a summit in Sweden with Nordic prime ministers, Scholz emphasized that Ukraine requires “a lot of munitions, artillery tanks and air defense, and especially Patriot and the Iris-T system from Germany.”
“We will support Ukraine as long as it takes,” Scholz reiterated.
Scholz said Germany’s decision to send a third Patriot air defense battery in April was difficult due to limited supplies but “important.”
Ukrinform: Zelenskyy told Blinken Ukraine needs two Patriots to protect Kharkiv Oblast skies
Danish PM Mette Frederiksen echoed Scholz, stating the main reason for Ukraine’s current losses is “lack of air defense.”
“We have to speed up, we have to scale up in a short-term perspective… Ukraine cannot win it on their own,” she urged, according to AFP, adding that Ukraine “cannot win it on their own… they have to do it with equipment from us.”
The Nordic countries are among Ukraine’s biggest donors, while Germany is the world’s second-largest donor after the US, according to the Kiel Institute.
Read also:
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- German government reiterates opposition to NATO no-fly zone over Ukraine
- Ukrinform: Zelenskyy told Blinken Ukraine needs two Patriots to protect Kharkiv Oblast skies
- Ambassador: Ukraine to receive IRIS-T air defense from Germany in May
- Gen. Budanov: Russia may launch an offensive on Sumy Oblast
- Zelensky says “brutal fighting” takes place in the Kharkiv’s border villages, warned about Russian information operations
- ISW: Putin prepares for protracted war in Ukraine and possibly for future confrontation with NATO
