Germany committing a 'big mistake' by not providing heavy weapons to Kyiv: Ukraine's MP

Germany is committing a "big mistake" by not providing enough heavy military aid to Ukraine as the war with Russia entered day 117 on Monday, said a Ukrainian Member of the Parliament Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, who is also the chair of the parliamentary committee on the integration of Ukraine to the European Union (EU). She welcomed the European leaders supporting Ukraine’s EU membership application. 

However, Klympush-Tsintzadze urged the 27-nation bloc to provide “major humanitarian aid” and weaponry. According to the Ukrainian MP, “That decision ... should not dismiss the other needs of our country”. Urging for more military equipment, she said, “Unfortunately, we are not getting enough from those particular states”, according to The Guardian.  She singled out Germany especially and said that the European country has “been giving smaller weaponry”. 

“We understand that that was already a big change in their policy. But so far heavy weaponry does not come really from that country. And I think it’s a big mistake of Germany, trying to kind of postpone those decisions,” the Ukrainian MP said. 

But, as per the report, Klympush-Tsintzadze expressed hope that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to Ukraine will convince him to direct more aid for Ukraine now that he, along with other leaders “have actually seen the ruins and destruction that Russians have brought on our land near Kyiv with their own eyes”. She also said, “Maybe that could change their personal readiness to take the decisions on additional weaponry for us to protect – because we are protecting ourselves.”

European leaders back Ukraine's EU membership bid

Earlier, on June 16, the leaders of Germany, France, Italy and Romania met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as they arrived in Kyiv and extended their support for the war-torn nation’s EU membership. At the joint news conference, alongside Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, French President Emmanuel Macron had said, “All four of us support the status of immediate candidate for membership”. 

Scholz had also said, “Germany is in favour of a positive decision in favour of Ukraine. This also applies to the Republic of Moldova” and added, “Ukraine belongs to the European family”. The German Chancellor had emphasised the enlargement of the 27-nation-bloc “is subject to clear criteria that must be met by all candidates,” naming “especially democracy and the rule of law”. He also said, “The EU needs to prepare itself and modernize its structures and procedures”.

Image: AP