By Matthew Mpoke Bigg
Germany, France and Norway used the opportunity of a NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital on Tuesday to announce new military aid to Ukraine, promising tanks and longer-range missiles that could potentially bolster a counteroffensive launched last month by the government in Kyiv.
Here is a roundup of the new pledges:
Germany
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that Germany would provide 25 refurbished Leopard tanks along with 40 armored infantry fighting vehicles and two Patriot air defense missile launchers. The government in Berlin first delivered Leopards to the government in Kyiv in March.
The tanks, which are more advanced than the Soviet-era tanks that Ukraine had previously relied on in battle, are part of Germany’s latest military aid package for Ukraine, worth 700 million euros (around $770 million).
The new package is designed to help strengthen “Ukraine’s ability to persevere,” Pistorius said.
Germany, which had announced a 2.7 billion euro package in May, is the second-largest donor of military aid to Ukraine after the United States. Pistorius also said in Vilnius, Lithuania, that there was no doubt that Ukraine’s future was in NATO but that there were certain preconditions to be fulfilled.
France
France will give Ukraine longer-range missiles to defend itself against Russian aggression, President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday, upon arriving at the NATO summit in Vilnius.
Macron did not specify what kind of missiles would be delivered, but the French presidency later confirmed that they would be SCALP air-to-ground missiles — the French equivalent to the Shadow Storm missiles that Britain has also promised to send to Ukraine. SCALP missiles have a range of over 250 kilometers (over 150 miles).
Macron gave no details on the timing or scope of the deliveries. “What’s important for us today is to send a message of support for Ukraine, of NATO unity and of determination that Russia cannot and must not win this war,” he said.
Andriy Yermak, the head of the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed Macron’s announcement.
Norway
Norway is increasing its military support to Ukraine by $240 million (2.5 billion Norwegian kroner) to a total of more than $960 million for 2023, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store of Norway said. The country has already provided around $1.4 billion in military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
“Ukraine has an urgent need for more military support and equipment,” Store said. The country has already provided around $1.4 billion in military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
God bless Ukraine. Russia is a terrorist state
This information means that Ukraine is receiving important support for its defense and security. I recently learned that the United States is supplying Ukraine with night video goggles, which I read about in post https://www.agmglobalvision.com/night-vision/night-vision-accessories. Night video goggles help improve visibility in low light conditions and can be a decisive factor on the battlefield. It is also a symbol of solidarity and support from the United States at a difficult time for Ukraine.