Berlin might provide Kiev with submarines, the Ukrainian parliament’s chairman, Ruslan Stefanchuk, revealed during a visit to Germany amid the ongoing Russian military operation in his country, international media reported.
Speaking ahead of a meeting with German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht on Friday, the head of the parliament said the “supply of the most modern equipment to Ukraine” and speedy decision-making on the matter will bring “common victory” over Russia closer, a report by Russian TV network RT said.
Stefanchuk expressed hope that IRIS-T surface-to-air missile systems will be promptly delivered to Ukraine.
“I do not rule out receiving submarines from Germany, because we are ready to become the eastern defense frontier for the whole of Europe,” the report quoted Stefanchuk as saying.
Lambrecht stated that her country “will continue to do everything to support Ukraine, not only at this time, but also in the long run.”
Later, summing up the results of his visit to Germany in an interview with Welt TV, Stefanchuk reiterated that Kiev needs modern weapons “first and foremost.”
“We can also fight with old weapons from old stocks, but new weapons are more effective,” he said.
He added that Ukraine expects Germany to provide it with both Marder armored vehicles and Leopard tanks, which Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba described last month as Kiev’s “dream.”
The Russian military offensive in Ukraine prompted Germany to scrap its long-held policy against shipping weapons into active conflict zones, and later to reverse its stance on not providing Kiev with lethal weapons.
Moscow has repeatedly warned the West against “pumping up” Ukraine with weapons, arguing that it will only prolong the conflict and create long-term problems. Russia has also said that it considers any foreign weapons in Ukraine to be legitimate targets.
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