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The Ukrainian Ambassador Andriy Melnyk in »Maischberger/Die Woche«: »Unfortunately, no open dialogue about what we need«
Photo: IMAGO/Christian Spicker
The Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, contradicts the statement by Federal Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) that his country insists on secrecy when it comes to German arms deliveries.
"That's not true.
That's the line the minister decided on," said Melnyk on Wednesday evening on the ARD talk show "Maischberger/Die Woche".
Unfortunately, there is "no open dialogue about what we need," criticized the ambassador.
"However, this dialogue is still very difficult on the 42nd day of the war and every day costs far too many lives."
In the Bundestag, Lambrecht justified the extensive secrecy regarding the delivery of arms to Ukraine with corresponding requests from the Ukrainian side.
“If we don't talk publicly about the type and number of weapons supplied, then there's a good reason: Ukraine specifically asked for it.
And we're sticking to it," she said in a current hour.
The ambassador praised that Germany is now doing much more than it was a week ago.
"But the Germans - including the defense minister - know very well what we need at the moment: And these are heavy weapons." Cities like the besieged Mariupol cannot be liberated with a rocket launcher.
"You need tanks, artillery, multiple rocket launchers."
Russian troops invaded the neighboring country six weeks ago.
At the weekend, pictures of bodies, some of them tied up, on the streets of the Kiev suburb of Bucha had caused horror.
Ukraine blames Russian troops for atrocities against hundreds of residents.
Moscow denies this and speaks of a staging, but without presenting any evidence.
In the meantime, there are growing indications of an impending major Russian offensive in the east.
jso/dpa
