02:11Germany: Berlin 'determined to escalate' with 'unlimited pumping of lethal weapons' to Kiev - Ambassador Nechaev *EXCLUSIVE*
Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergei Nechaev said that Germany is set for 'permanent escalation' and 'unlimited pumping of the Kiev regime with more and more lethal weapons', in Berlin, on Wednesday.
"Once again we are convinced that Germany, as well as its closest allies, is not interested in a diplomatic solution to the Ukrainian crisis," the ambassador added.
According to Nechaev, the German government's decision to supply Kiev with Leopard 2 heavy combat tanks is 'extremely dangerous' and 'takes the conflict to a new level of confrontation and contradicts the statements of German politicians and the German government's unwillingness to get involved in it'.
On Wednesday, the German government approved a decision to transfer 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks from the Bundeswehr's stockpile to Ukraine.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasised that the decision to supply was the result of 'intensive consultations' with allies and international partners.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Scholz on his official Telegram channel for his decision.
"German main battle tanks, further expansion of military support and training missions, a 'greenlight' to partners to supply similar weapons. I just learned about these important and timely decisions during a conversation with German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Sincere thanks to Olaf Scholz and all our friends in Germany," Zelensky said.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
02:11Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergei Nechaev said that Germany is set for 'permanent escalation' and 'unlimited pumping of the Kiev regime with more and more lethal weapons', in Berlin, on Wednesday.
"Once again we are convinced that Germany, as well as its closest allies, is not interested in a diplomatic solution to the Ukrainian crisis," the ambassador added.
According to Nechaev, the German government's decision to supply Kiev with Leopard 2 heavy combat tanks is 'extremely dangerous' and 'takes the conflict to a new level of confrontation and contradicts the statements of German politicians and the German government's unwillingness to get involved in it'.
On Wednesday, the German government approved a decision to transfer 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks from the Bundeswehr's stockpile to Ukraine.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasised that the decision to supply was the result of 'intensive consultations' with allies and international partners.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Scholz on his official Telegram channel for his decision.
"German main battle tanks, further expansion of military support and training missions, a 'greenlight' to partners to supply similar weapons. I just learned about these important and timely decisions during a conversation with German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Sincere thanks to Olaf Scholz and all our friends in Germany," Zelensky said.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.