Germany is still blocking EU and NATO allies from sending urgently needed weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, which is trying to defend itself from a multi-front Russian invasion, according to officials from two EU member countries.
It’s an ongoing stance that has bewildered some European officials, especially as numerous Western allies now mobilize to send Ukraine more guns, ammunition and even anti-aircraft defense systems as Russian forces bear down on major Ukrainian cities.
Senior Ukrainian officials have complained bitterly for weeks that Germany was refusing to allow shipments of arms over which it retains legal control because they were manufactured in whole or in part by German companies.
Estonia, in particular, had said it wanted to send old howitzers but was prevented from doing so because of Germany’s refusal to allow the shipment of lethal weapons. Estonia bought the weapons from Finland, which gave its approval, but Germany also has to sign off because it originally sold the howitzers to Finland.
At the time, Ukrainian and some officials from EU countries expressed outrage. And in response, Germany said it was sending 5,000 helmets and a field hospital to Ukraine, a meager contribution that has been the subject of some derision considering that Germany is the biggest and wealthiest EU country.
But the dispute over the howitzers erupted nearly a month ago, and now that Russian President Vladimir Putin has undertaken a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the need to supply Kyiv with arms and ammunition is urgent. Russian tanks have advanced on the Ukrainian capital, which is also under fire from Russian missiles. Paratroopers and other Russian forces are trying to infiltrate the city, and local officials have warned residents that fighting is underway on the streets. Many have taken refuge in subway stations.
Germany’s continuing stance comes as other European countries, the U.S. and NATO have started mobilizing in recent days to send military equipment and weapons to Ukraine.
Poland has started delivering ammunition to the Ukrainian forces by land, and Estonia and Latvia on Friday said they are beginning to truck fuel, Javelin anti-armor weapons and medical supplies to the Ukraine border for hand-off to Ukrainian forces. Elsewhere, the Czech Republic is sending guns and ammunition, and Slovakia is sending ammunition, diesel and kerosene.
And on Saturday, more countries started chipping in.
The Netherlands said it will send 200 Stinger anti-aircraft defense systems to Ukraine — often the top-requested type of military aid among Ukrainian soldiers and officials (apart from Western powers sending their own planes and forces to fight with Ukraine). And Belgium announced it would supply Ukraine with 2,000 machine guns and 3,800 tonnes of fuel.
Across the Atlantic, the United States on Saturday also upped its ongoing military assistance to Ukraine, authorizing up to $350 million to help bolster Ukraine’s defenses, funding that will include “further lethal defensive assistance.”
Germany has similarly taken flack from some allies for its opposition to barring Russia from the SWIFT international payment system, which European countries notably use to buy energy from Russia. While there was some initial resistance across the EU to such a ban, the opposition has rapidly dwindled following the invasion and amid pressure from Ukraine. EU countries like Poland are now publicly leaning on Germany to follow suit.
Against this broader backdrop, officials from the two EU member countries expressed fury and disbelief that the German government had still not issued blanket permission for the supply of lethal weapons and ammunition. Berlin’s position, which Germany has defended as a long-standing policy aimed at preventing bloodshed, now means that weapons stockpiled across Europe cannot be sent to Ukraine. German officials have said that the request from Estonia remains under consideration.
While the laws can be complicated, the manufacturing country often retains some legal authority over resales or donations of arms to third parties. “Throughout Europe, there are armories filled with weaponry,” one official from a Western EU country said.
The restrictions often also apply to jointly manufactured war materiel, a particular complication given extensive Franco-German partnerships in the defense sector.
“The problem in Europe is that a lot of it is supplied by German manufacturers, and Germany so far is withholding consent,” the official said. “That instantly limits the available stores in Europe.” Another official from a Western EU country confirmed Germany’s stance.
On Friday, Germany’s chief government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit confirmed that his country had not adjusted this policy in response to the outbreak of war, and the attack on the Ukrainian capital. “I think the federal foreign minister and also the chancellor made it clear yesterday that the German government’s position on this has not changed due to the legal regulations that exist,” Hebestreit said. A German official added that it was inaccurate to say Berlin was blocking anything because no further requests had been received. Other countries disputed that assertion.
A senior Central European official insisted that Europe must move now. “Now is the time to help as much as we can,” the official said. “There are people dying and [there] will be more if we don’t do what is the bare minimum,” the official said, adding: “It is a question of survival for Ukraine.”
Hans von der Burchard contributed reporting.
