Ukraine: Pistorius promises more money – but no taurus

Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) promised another 1.9 billion euros in military aid during a visit to Ukraine-the federal government does not consider delivery of Taurus marching sky bodies. The money should be financed with great reach, Pistorius said on Thursday at a joint press conference with the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj in Kiev. In Rome, however, the European allies of Ukraine spoke out against an “appeasement” policy towards Russia.

If the additional 1.9 billion euros are decided by the Bundestag, Germany will provide a total of around nine billion euros this year, Pistorius said. “I can say for Germany that we went into this year with support for Ukraine with the size of four billion euros,” Pistorius recalled. This “has been increased to seven billion euros over the past few months”. “And we have now planned, which has not yet been finally decided, but is in prospect, another amount of 1.9 billion euros.”

Germany is ready to take over the financing of “long-range-fire systems that are produced in Ukraine. And the first systems will be available in the next few months,” said Pistorius. “And secondly, we will make money available so that the Ukrainian government, the Ukrainian armed forces can buy material, in the Ukrainian armaments industry, whose capacities can be better utilized.”

When asked whether Berlin is considering the delivery of Taurus marching aircraft to Ukraine, Pistorius said: “Since you asked me a question whether we are considering this, my answer is: No.” Ukraine has long been calling for the delivery of this weapon with a range of more than 500 kilometers, with which destinations from Ukraine could be attacked far into Russian territory.

Foreign Minister Johann WadePhul (CDU) in Rome of Ukraine once said the further extensive support of Germany. The support is “rock festival politically, economically and militarily,” said WadePhul at a meeting in the so -called Weimar format in Rome to his Ukrainian counterpart Andrij Sybiha.

Both foreign ministers emphasized that there should be no “appeasement” policy compared to Russia. Putin is not ready to get to the negotiating table, but continue to strive for a warlike solution in Ukraine, said Wadephul. “We cannot afford to relapse in appeasement,” emphasized the minister. “That is why we are determined to increase the pressure, with further sanctions, for example in the energy and financial sector.”

Sybiha also explained that an “appeasement” policy did not work towards the aggressor Russia. “The time of the diplomacy of the pressure has come,” he said. “We want the war to end this year.” The appeasement policy of France and Great Britain towards Nazi Germany in the 1930s is called “appeasement”.

Selenskyj, according to his own statements, hopes to be able to force US President Donald Trump to tighten sanctions against Russia. “I expect Trump to talk to Trump at the G7 summit in Canada, which begins this weekend,” said Selenskyj to journalists. A new sanction package against Moscow is “very important”.

Russia started his war of attack against Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Since then, all efforts for a temporary ceasefire have failed due to Moscow’s resistance. In the two recent rounds of talks in Istanbul, only the exchange of prisoners was agreed.

On Thursday, Moscow and Kyiv were exchanging prisoners for the third time this week. “Today, warriors returned home, the national guard and the border protection service,” wrote Selenskyj in online media. “Everyone needs medical treatment” because they are “seriously wounded and seriously ill”.

The Russian Ministry of Defense at Telegram said that “a group of Russian soldiers” had returned from Ukraine. The exchanged Russian soldiers are now in Belarus. Both sides did not provide precise information on the number of replaced soldiers.

The first phases of the exchange took place on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday, Russia also returned the bodies of 1212 Ukrainian soldiers.