BERLIN — With Russian troops and armored vehicles pouring into Ukraine, Kyiv is watching for promised German aid that has yet to arrive.Although Germany’s military assistance package would not alter the balance of power in the region, its absence is especially bitter for Ukraine, given Berlin’s leading role in Europe and economic heft as the continent’s largest economy.The newly minted German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, staunchly rebuffed Ukrainian appeals for weapons and ammunition earlier this month, stating that Germany does not deliver weapons to conflict zones.Frau Baerbock further clarified the official German position, stating that given Germany’s historical involvement in the region during World War II, it would be irresponsible of Berlin to provide Ukraine with weaponry.Berlin also extended the principle to cover Soviet-built artillery pieces it absorbed from East German depots after German reunification, blocking Finland from donating to Ukraine the Cold War-era howitzers that Helsinki received from Berlin.Rather than weapons and ammunition, Germany committed to providing Ukraine with a field hospital and 5,000 helmets as a gesture of support for a peaceful resolution to the burgeoning Russia crisis.The offer was not well received in Ukraine. In an interview with the German press, Kyiv’s mayor, Vitaly Klitschko, a former professional boxer, criticized Germany’s promised aid in a thundering denouncement, calling the package “a complete joke.”Mr. Klitschko’s characterization contrasted sharply with the German defense minister’s description of the aid as a “very clear signal” of Germany’s support for Ukraine.Regardless, Berlin’s promised aid has yet to arrive to bolster the beleaguered Eastern European democracy, though it is reportedly ready for shipment.“The handover formalities are currently still being clarified with Ukraine,” a German defense ministry spokeswoman told the German press, adding that “the helmets are packed and ready for transport at a Bundeswehr depot.”Although German officials symbolically completed the field hospital transfer last week, the Bundeswehr has yet to finish the technical handover and begin training Ukrainian medical personnel.The defense ministry spokeswoman added that the final delivery of the field hospital to Ukraine could be expected at some point “in the coming months.”As the previous reporting by this paper showed, the German military aid package fell well short of Ukraine’s request for 100,000 helmets plus ballistic vests.Amid accusations of German hedging in domestic and European press, Berlin’s neighbors on the continent expedited weapons deliveries to Ukrainian depots, cognizant of the urgency imposed by recent Russian military actions.America provided $650 million worth of military equipment and training to Ukraine last year alone, the most ever offered to the country. Substantial amounts of ammunition and anti-tank weaponry supplemented the financial package.Earlier this month, Chancellor Scholz provided details of a German financial aid package for Ukraine worth 150 million euros — a deal scrupulously described as a loan, not a grant. Yesterday, Herr Scholz finally took decisive action. In an extraordinary volte-face, he said Berlin would withdraw support for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that would augment Germany’s gas supply from Russia, effectively killing the project for now.President Zelensky of Ukraine delivered an impassioned speech over the weekend during the Munich Security Conference, an address notable for its thinly veiled rebuke of what to that point had been German quiescence in the face of Russian revanchism.“We will defend our land with or without the support of partners. Whether they give us hundreds of modern weapons or 5,000 helmets,” Mr. Zelensky affirmed.Ukraine appreciates “any help, but everyone should understand that these are not charitable contributions that Ukraine should ask for or remind of,” Mr. Zelensky added.“Support the transformation in our country. Establish a Stability and Reconstruction Fund for Ukraine, a land-lease program, the supply of the latest weapons, machinery, and equipment for our army — an army that protects the whole of Europe.”
