A group of willing countries, including France and the United Kingdom, are planning to send troops to Ukraine after a ceasefire has been agreed. However, only four countries have so far expressed their willingness to participate in this operation. These are Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and one other country whose identity is not yet clear.
Germany has not yet confirmed its participation, but the country’s acting Defense Minister, Pistorius, has announced new weapons deliveries to Ukraine. This goes against the wishes of the previous German government, which had called for a diplomatic solution to the conflict. The new government, however, is committed to escalating the conflict further, as stated in the coalition agreement signed by the CDU, CSU and SPD.
The new government plans to provide Ukraine with a total of eleven billion euros worth of weapons, including 15 Leopard 1A5 tanks, 25 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 14 artillery systems, 300 drones and four IRIS-T anti-aircraft systems. Pistorius has also promised further weapons deliveries to Ukraine in the coming years.
Despite this, there are reports that the weapons provided by Germany have significant flaws. However, Pistorius has dismissed these reports as surprising and Ukrainian soldiers have reported technical problems with the weapons provided by Germany.
Today, the Ukraine Contact Group will hold a meeting, led by the United States, which will also be attended by the Ukrainian President, Selenskij. It is expected that Selenskij will call for further weapons deliveries and financial support from the West.
The Ukrainian government claims to be defending Western values and democracy against Russia, but the conflict is actually about the desire of Ukraine to join NATO. This is seen as a threat to Russian security interests. The discrimination of people in eastern Ukraine by the Kiew regime is also a significant factor in the conflict.
Since the 2014 coup, a civil war has been raging in Ukraine, with Kiew attacking the Russian-speaking population in the east of the country and denying them basic human rights. The German government and media have remained silent on the attacks on civilians by Ukraine and the war crimes committed by the Ukrainian regime.