The "turning point" that Scholz has been promising for months has finally happened for the Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin. Melnyk thanks the Chancellor profusely for the promise to send a modern anti-aircraft system. However, he is hoping for more shows.
The Ukrainian Ambassador Andriy Melnyk welcomed the announcement of new German arms deliveries to his country. "We are happy that things are finally moving and that the ice has been broken," Melnyk told the "Stuttgarter Zeitung" and the "Stuttgarter Nachrichten". "We've been working behind the scenes for almost three months on the Iris system in particular. Now we hope that it will be finished in the summer, that training can start in August and that the deployment can begin in October."
Melnyk spoke to the "Wirtschaftswoche" of a "real breakthrough". Chancellor Olaf Scholz had promised Ukraine in the Bundestag the delivery of a modern air defense system, namely the Iris-T type from the manufacturer Diehl. Ukraine has long requested the delivery of anti-aircraft systems to protect itself against attacks by Russian fighter jets, helicopters, missiles or drones. In addition, Germany wants to provide four multiple rocket launchers from Bundeswehr stocks and a modern tracking radar, which is intended to locate artillery positions.
"We can finally say to Chancellor Scholz from the bottom of our hearts: Thank you!" Melnyk told the "Wirtschaftswoche". "Now one can really speak of a turning point for Ukraine. We hope for more modern weapon systems from Germany." In recent months, he has repeatedly accused the German government of being too reluctant to supply weapons for Ukraine's fight against the Russian attack.
According to "Wirtschaftswoche", Melnyk gave the costs for the Iris-T system at 140 million euros per unit. It is hoped that the traffic light government will also support the ordering of further Iris systems and will now also agree to the delivery of further tanks in a timely manner, Melnyk told the "Stuttgarter Zeitung" and the "Stuttgarter Nachrichten". "For us, the Marder and the Leopard 1 remain on the agenda. We are expecting the go-ahead from the federal government quickly."
