Germany to supply weapons to Ukraine under 'circular exchange' principle, says Olaf Scholz

In a bid to assist Ukraine in combating Russia's military aggression, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced on Wednesday that his country will supply weapons to the war-ravaged nation. While speaking in Bundestag (German federal parliament), Scholz stated that the deliveries will soon commence using the "circular exchange" approach. Describing the "circular exchange" idea, Scholz explained He said that in exchange for Ukraine's Soviet-era weaponry, Germany will deliver Kyiv its artillery supply. 

Furthermore, recently, the German Chancellor emphasised that his nation is doing all in its power to help Ukraine on a number of fronts. In a CBS News interview, Scholz asserted that Germany is providing the war-torn country with all the financial, humanitarian, and military support necessary to stave against Russian assault. 

According to Olaf Scholz, “We will continue doing this as long as it is necessary for supporting Ukraine, and for avoiding that the outcome of this war is what Vladimir Putin is looking for: a dictated peace. And this is something that neither Ukraine nor we will accept. So, it is necessary that we continue with this very strong support". 

In addition to this, when questioned why it took so long to deliver weapons to Kyiv, the German Chancellor responded that it was because the nation had to make a very difficult decision to abandon the long-standing political approaches it had been using. He continued by saying that Germany needed to adjust its policy, to not provide armaments to nations that were at war. It is pertinent to note that the first shipment of German Howitzer weaponry reportedly arrived in Ukraine on June 21. 

Military aid to Ukraine

Meanwhile, earlier in the month of June, Germany had promised to deliver the nation some of the most cutting-edge weaponry to assist it to fight off the Russian invasion. Germany reportedly promised to give Ukraine advanced "anti-air missile" and "radar systems." The IRIS-T air defence system would be shipped to Ukraine, making it the first long-range air defence equipment given to the Zelenskyy administration since the war's start on February 24, as per a report from the Associated Press. 

It is also important to mention that the German military's past deliveries of shoulder-fired, portable air defence missiles have bolstered the Ukrainian military's ability to shoot down helicopters and other low-flying aircraft, however, not sufficiently to threaten Russia's air dominance. In addition, Germany has opted to provide Ukraine with roughly 15 "Gepard tanks" to aid in the conflict against Russian troops. 

According to media reports, the German Chancellor even added that his nation is adjusting how funds are spent on defence in addition to aiding Ukraine. He said that the present conflict in Ukraine may go on for a while and would stop only when Russian President Vladimir Putin realises that he would not be able to take all of its neighbouring nation. 

(Image: Olaf Scholz/ Zelenskyy_official_Instagram/AP)