Defense Minister Pistorius, Ukraine is getting more ammunition, rockets, tank vehicles
There is a Ukraine conference in Ramstein on Tuesday. The supporters meet there. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (63, SPD) has Corona! The diagnosis came on Monday evening. Now he cannot attend in person, but is sending representatives. And exclusively announces new weapons for Ukraine in BILD.
BILD: Mr. Minister, how do we specifically help?
Boris Pistorius: “Our help is complex. In addition to our extensive support with weapons and material, we train Ukrainian soldiers in Germany. By the end of the year there will be 10,000. In Ramstein, for example, we are checking whether we can provide more support with training.”
There is no new weapons package from Germany?
Pistorius: “Yes. We supply additional ammunition: explosive ammunition, mortar ammunition, mine rockets. Because ammunition is what Ukraine needs most in its defense against the brutal war of aggression. In addition, we will help with protected vehicles and demining systems. But we also have an eye on the approaching winter: We will send clothing, but also electricity and heat generators. In total, the package will be worth 400 million euros.”
Ukraine wants one thing above all: the Taurus cruise missile. Why isn't it in there?
Pistorius: “When we help Ukraine, we ask ourselves: What are our strengths? These are our modern Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks. There is the ground-based air defense. Our IRIS T SLM air defense system saves lives in Ukraine every day. We rank second in the world in military support to Ukraine. The Ukrainians really appreciate that, as they tell me again and again in conversations.”
Doesn't sound like Kiev is getting Taurus anytime soon.
Pistorius: “It is the duty of the entire federal government to weigh every arms delivery very carefully. A variety of political, legal, military and technical aspects need to be clarified. That is not easy. It has not yet decided whether the federal government will send Taurus cruise missiles.”
Are you concerned that Ukraine could use the Taurus, with its 500-kilometer range, to attack targets in Russia?
Pistorius: “There are procedures for that. We regulate contractually with the Ukrainians how the weapon systems supplied are used.”
Taurus is technically complicated. Can it be used without the help of Bundeswehr soldiers, on site or digitally from Germany?
Pistorius: “This is also one of the questions we are clarifying.”
Ukraine urgently needs modern fighter jets from the West. An international coalition has come together to provide flight training and delivery of F-16 jets. Will Germany, for example, B. support with pilot training?
Pistorius: “That is currently not planned. We focus our assistance on artillery, air defense, armored combat vehicles and engineer capabilities. Now in the fall we are also focusing on supplies, i.e. clothing and heat generators, in order to strengthen our stamina. We support with what we are good at and what Ukraine needs most. In the fighter jet coalition, other partners show their strengths. And that's just as well."
They always said that Ukraine must win the war. How sure are you today that Ukraine will win the war?
Pistorius: “Russia attacked Ukraine in violation of international law. I want Ukraine to successfully defend its country and win the war. I can't predict whether it will succeed in the end. But I see it as my job to support Ukraine as best as possible. And for as long as necessary!”
Why is a victory for Ukraine important for us too?
Pistorius: “Ukraine doesn’t just defend its territory. She fights for more: that authoritarian states cannot simply invade a country, kill people and set new borders. So this war is not just about Ukraine. It's fundamentally about freedom. About freedom worldwide. And therefore also about our freedom in Germany.”
Are you preparing for a long war that will last for years?
Pistorius: “The truth is: we have to prepare for everything. Also that the war may last longer. One thing is clear: Moscow can end the war quickly. All the Kremlin would have to do is withdraw its troops from Ukraine.”
How great is the danger that Germany itself will become a party to the war?
Pistorius: “I don’t see the danger.”
Is the Bundeswehr ready for war in an emergency?
Pistorius: “Yes.”
The Bundeswehr has a personnel problem. Too few young people want to join the troops. Can you say in one sentence why a school graduate should become a soldier?
Pistorius: “Hardly any other employer has as much to offer as the Bundeswehr: Depending on their interests, young people can choose a job as an IT specialist or as a medic, as a pilot or mechanic, as a tank driver or as an infantryman. But what’s crucial is what holds everyone together: camaraderie.”
