Germany permits Ukraine to employ German arms against Russian targets.
In a recent statement, German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit declared that Ukraine has been facing ongoing attacks, primarily in the Kharkiv region, from positions situated just across the border with Russia. Hebestreit affirmed that Ukraine holds the legal right to defend itself against these assaults and has the authority to utilize weapons given to them for that purpose, in line with international law. This includes the weapons provided by Germany, namely the Panzerhaubitze 2000 and the Mars-II system.
Prior to these remarks, US President Joe Biden had granted Ukraine permission to attack Russian military installations in the vicinity of the border with American-issued weapons. The German government is reevaluating its support in coordination with their closest allies and in conjunction with Ukraine.
Chancellor Scholz highlighted that an escalation can't be prevented without exercising caution. Scholz emphasized, "We need to be cautious in considering every step and the potential implications for escalation risks," along with the necessity of aligning closely with allies. Scholz further assured everyone that he'd act according to this principle and only take proper action in this dangerous predicament.
Scholz added that Germany had pledged or delivered military assistance to Ukraine valued at 28 billion euros. He reiterated, "They need all of this to protect themselves."
On Thursday, the German government confirmed an additional weapons package to Ukraine worth approximately 500 million euros. This package encompasses deliveries in five categories: artillery, air defense, drones, endurance, and protection.
The Green Bundestag Vice President Katrin Göring-Eckart deems this choice an essential one, expressing support for Ukraine in its pursuit of genuine, lasting peace. Göring-Eckart believes, "We must help Ukraine attain freedom and ensure that they can prevail through this ordeal."
Anton Hofreiter, the chairman of the European Affairs Committee in the Bundestag, described the decision to allow Ukraine to strike Russian targets with German weapons as positive for the Ukrainian populace. Hofreiter asserts, "Putin will only consider serious negotiations if he realizes he can't attain his imperial aspirations militarily."
Even the chair of the Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), hailed this decision as good news for Ukrainians. Strack-Zimmermann characterized Russian President Putin's potential reaction as "Russian President Putin will now be enraged and threaten with nuclear strikes or the Third World War," but argued that people shouldn't be fearful since he has been issuing these threats since the commencement of Western support for Ukraine. However, she expressed disappointment that the decision had been delayed and should have surfaced three months earlier.
Unofficially, the Left Party's leader, Janine Wissler, viewed this decision as a "further step towards escalation." She cautioned that this might "at worst lead to direct military involvement of NATO nations and a large-scale war."
