Crisis in Ukraine: Westerners increase arms deliveries in anticipation of a Russian attack

In Ukraine, deliveries or intentions of deliveries are multiplying in what now looks like a race against time in the face of a possible Russian attack.

"Everything indicates" that President Vladimir Putin "will use military force at some point, perhaps between now and mid-February," said US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Wednesday.

The Czech Republic has thus announced that it will provide 4,000 artillery shells in the coming days.

"The donation worth more than 36.6 million crowns (1.5 million euros) was approved by the government today" on Wednesday, Defense Ministry spokesman Jakub said. Fajnor.

"The shells will be delivered to Ukraine in the coming days but I cannot say exactly when," he said.

Germany helmets

Germany refuses to deliver arms to Ukraine.

So she provided… military helmets.

“It's equipment, it's not weapons.

But it helps, it provides support.

And that's exactly how we are going to continue to work in this conflict, ”added the minister of Olaf Scholz's government to the press.

This announcement from Germany, which also promised to deliver a field hospital, immediately aroused sarcasm and criticism.

"5,000 helmets is an absolute joke," reacted the mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko, to the German daily Bild.

“What is Germany going to send next in support?

Pillows?

".

For the mayor of Kiev, “the behavior of the German federal government leaves you speechless”.

The question is all the more sensitive as Germany has still not given its agreement to Estonia so that it can deliver German howitzers to Ukraine.

On Tuesday, the United States staged a delivery of military equipment on Tuesday.

“Our enemy is strong, but with your support and with the Ukrainian people, we are stronger,” Ukrainian Defense Ministry No. 2 Rostyslav Zemlynsky told an American dignitary during the delivery at the airport from Kyiv.

It includes "equipment and ammunition to reinforce the Ukrainian armed forces", according to the American embassy, ​​specifying that it was part of the 200 million dollars of assistance granted by the White House recently.

At the same time, the United States placed up to 8,500 military personnel on alert.

The United Kingdom also made deliveries to Ukraine.

The separatists armed by Russia?

Faced with these deliveries, a senior official of the ruling United Russia party on Wednesday called on the authorities to deliver weapons to pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, amid heightened tensions on the border between the two countries.

"We call on the leaders of our country to provide assistance to the republics of Lugansk and Donetsk in the form of deliveries of military products necessary to deter aggression" lent to the authorities of Kiev by Moscow, declared Vladimir Vasilyev, head of the Russia faction United with the Duma, lower house of the Russian Parliament.