Scholz to the West: Ukraine might soon face serious shortage of weapons and ammunition
Despite Western support, Ukraine is likely to face a serious shortage of weapons and ammunition soon, states German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
"The European Union and its member states have been Ukraine’s largest financial supporter, having contributed more than $91 billion since the beginning of the war, followed by the U.S. and Germany. Germany’s military support is second only to America’s," he said.
According to the chancellor, since the beginning of the war, the German government has allocated, purchased, and supplied Ukraine with military equipment, including tanks, artillery, and expensive air defense systems, worth more than $30 billion. This, he added, is in addition to Germany's non-military support, including hosting more than a million Ukrainian refugees, and its share of EU support.
"Our message is clear: We have to do our utmost to prevent Russia from winning. If we don’t, we might soon wake up in a world even more unstable, threatening, and unpredictable than it was during the Cold War," Scholz stated.
He noted that some financial obligations have already been exhausted, while others need to be extended.
"Despite our support, Ukraine could soon face serious shortages in arms and ammunition. Some financial commitments have already run out, and others need to be extended. The long-term consequences and costs of failing to stop Mr. Putin’s aggression would dwarf any of the investments that we are making now," he emphasized.
Germany's assistance to Ukraine
Germany has been one of Ukraine's main allies since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion.
Berlin has already provided the Ukrainian military with Patriot and IRIS-T anti-aircraft missile systems, Leopard 2 tanks, Marder infantry fighting vehicles, and many other pieces of equipment.
On January 31, Germany handed over a new military aid package to Ukraine. It included air defense missiles, all-terrain vehicles, and armored personnel carriers.
In addition, German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach assured Ukraine of further assistance and cooperation in the healthcare sector.