Germany says its finally ready to send heavy weapons to Ukraine

Two months into Russia’s bloody invasion of Ukraine, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced that Berlin is open to sending heavy weapons to Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters in Estonia, Germany’s top diplomat addressed ongoing criticisms by its Western allies surrounding Berlin’s previous refusal to deliver the weapons Kyiv has said it requires to fend off Russian attacks, Reuters reported.

"There are no taboos for us with regard to armored vehicles and other weaponry that Ukraine needs," she told a news conference on the second day of a tour of the Baltic states.

As Russia continues to besiege key cities in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, many analysts have said that Ukraine desperately needs heavy weapons if they hope to push back Putin’s invading forces. Although the Ukrainians have been successful using light armaments and Western military tactics, it is unlikely that they will be able to take on a new concentrated effort without heavy battlefield weaponry like tanks and Howitzers.

With this in mind, Baerbock noted that Berlin’s priority was to ensure that Kyiv was given Soviet-designed weapons that its armed forces could utilize without extra training. To accomplish this goal, Germany has suggested backfilling the stocks of allied countries with such weapons with modern German-made gear.

So far, such an exchange has already been agreed upon with Slovenia, Reuters reported.

According to the bilateral deal, Slovenia will supply T-72 tanks to Ukraine in exchange for 20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles and 20 Fuchs armored personnel carriers from Germany.

When asked by journalists if Germany would consider providing Ukraine with Leopard tanks, Baerbock replied positively, adding that Berlin was willing to pay to train Ukrainian soldiers to use the new equipment.

"We are providing 1 billion euros because we should think not just for the coming days and months, but also the next years for the systems Ukraine needs for defence now, but also for a free Ukraine in the future," she said.

"We know that every day counts."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday again urged Western nations to provide his country with the weapons required to stop the Russian invasion.

Speaking to the Portuguese Parliament via video connection, the war-tested president said the Portuguese people – who celebrate 48 years since the end of a fascist dictatorship next week – know all too well what it means to fight for democracy.

"In 57 days of war, more than 1,000 Ukrainian towns were occupied by invaders who continue to destroy our cities," he said. "Millions of people had to flee ... it is as if the whole of Portugal was forced to leave."

Zelensky also highlighted the atrocities committed by the Russian army in cities like Mariupol, which has faced heavy bombardment in recent days.

"We are fighting not only for our independence, but for our survival, for our people so that they do not get killed, tortured and raped," he said. "The Russians have already kidnapped more than 500,000 people ... who were deported to the most distant regions of Russia, in remote camps."