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Secretary of Defense Christine Lambrecht
Photo: Michael Kappeler / dpa
Germany will deliver 5,000 military protective helmets to Ukraine.
Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) announced this to the members of the Defense Committee at a meeting on Wednesday, according to SPIEGEL information.
The dpa news agency reported first.
The delivery is a request of the Ukrainian government.
Ukraine has asked Germany to supply weapons to defend it against a possible Russian attack.
Among other things, Kiev wants warships and air defense systems.
The parliamentary secretary of the SPD parliamentary group, Katja Mast, had previously spoken out against German approval for a planned arms delivery from Estonia to Ukraine. "I can say for myself that I think that you shouldn't give consent," Mast said on Wednesday in Berlin. The federal government is currently examining a license requested by Estonia for the delivery of nine howitzers - medium- and heavy-caliber artillery pieces - to Ukraine. German approval is required because the weapons from GDR old stocks were first sold to Finland with conditions and then later given to Estonia from there.
The SPD politician justifies her rejection of the delivery by saying that the weapons are lethal, i.e. deadly.
The federal government has ruled out the export of such armaments to Ukraine.
Mast said specifically about the howitzers: "They are also offensive weapons."
Not only the Ukraine, but also Poland is still expecting German approval.
"Something as small as the delivery of a couple of howitzers from Estonia to Ukraine should not be blocked just because the weapons originally came from Germany," Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sek told dpa.
'This shouldn't be made into a symbol, it should be approved quickly.
We are in a special situation.
And in a special situation you should use special means.«
as/dpa
