Germany says it has exhausted its own air defence missile stocks for Ukraine: We gave everything we had
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has said that Berlin has effectively run out of its own stocks of air defence missiles and can no longer supply them to Ukraine directly from its reserves.
Source: Wadephul in response to questions about the shortage of air defence capabilities in Ukraine, as reported by Clash Report
Quote: "Partly because we don't have any more. What there still is… comes from American production. Honestly, everything that is coming out of the production halls there now also goes directly to Ukraine. This is happening within a mechanism that is largely financed by Europeans, primarily Germany."
Details: Wadephul stressed that Berlin is not to blame in this situation, as the country has provided everything it had and continues to finance a large share of the assistance received by Kyiv.
"We have made everything available that we somehow had," he emphasised.
He added that this is only fair, as Ukraine is defending Europe's freedom.
Meanwhile, Wadephul called on other European countries to make a greater contribution to strengthening Ukraine's air defence. He reiterated calls by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius for partners to review their own stockpiles and increase their use, noting that Germany has taken such steps on several occasions.
Background:
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticised Europe at Davos over problems with air defence missile deliveries. NATO insisted there had been no delay in the supply of Patriot missiles, contrary to Zelenskyy's remarks.
- NATO later said a number of partners would provide Ukraine with air defence missiles from their own stocks to address the shortfall in supplies from the US.
- Earlier, Alona Hetmanchuk, Ukraine's ambassador to NATO, listed the six countries that have provided Ukraine with the most support through PURL.
- On 14 February, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine had received interceptor missiles shortly before Russia's large-scale combined attack on 12 February, which made it possible to down ballistic missiles.
- On 16 February, Zelenskyy instructed the leaders of the Air Force, the Ministry of Defence and Ukrenergo, Ukraine's state-owned electricity transmission operator, to prepare additional protective measures in response to intelligence reports of a potential new large-scale strike by Russia.
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