(Kyiv) Ukraine on Thursday called on its Western allies to “significantly increase” their arms deliveries to deal with the Russian army, targeting twelve countries, including Germany and Turkey, which have Leopard tanks that Kyiv tirelessly demands.
“We appeal to all partner states that have already provided or plan to provide military assistance, calling on them to significantly increase their contribution,” said Ukrainian Defense and Foreign Ministers Oleksiy in a joint statement. Reznikov and Dmytro Kouleba.
The two ministers urged the dozen countries, including Turkey – which is mediating in the conflict – and Germany – which is slow to respond to Kyiv’s requests according to the Ukrainians – to provide Leopard 2 tanks as soon as possible. , “one of the most pressing and urgent needs” for the Ukrainian army.
The call comes on the eve of a crucial Ukraine Contact Group meeting in Ramstein, Germany, to coordinate continued aid to Kyiv, as the Russian military throws its forces into the battle for Bakhmout (east).
International military aid must thus be “raised to a new level in terms of quality”, demanded MM. Reznikov and Kouleba.
At this stage, “Russia retains a substantial quantitative advantage in troops, weapons and military equipment”, they lamented, however, despite already very significant Western financial and military aid.
“We call on all these countries and other countries with the appropriate capabilities to join the initiative to create an international tank coalition to support Ukraine,” the two ministers urged on Thursday.
They also affirmed to “guarantee” that Ukraine “will use these weapons responsibly and exclusively for the purpose of protecting the territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders”.
MM. Reznikov and Kouleba also “welcomed” the “bold and welcome decision of the United Kingdom” announced last Saturday “to transfer the first squadron of Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine”.
“However, this is not enough to achieve operational objectives,” they pleaded in their joint statement. “The Kremlin is determined to further intensify hostilities” and “has not changed its objectives regarding Ukraine, which are to destroy (it),” they warned.
Sweden to donate Archer guns and armored infantry to Ukraine
Sweden has decided to supply the Ukrainian army with long-range self-propelled guns of the Archer model, modern equipment requested by Kyiv for many months, as well as light armored vehicles, the government announced on Thursday.
After a government meeting, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced at a press conference “the first decision to start delivering Archer artillery systems to Ukraine” to help it against Russia.
Sweden, which broke with Ukraine with its doctrine of not delivering armaments to a country at war, will also send 50 CV-90 armored infantry combat vehicles as well as NLAW man-portable anti-tank missiles, the government.
These announcements come at a time when Western countries are multiplying announcements of sending heavy weapons to Ukraine.
“Military support is decisive,” said Prime Minister Kristersson because “it can change whoever takes the initiative in the coming winter” on the front lines in Ukraine.
With a range of more than 30 kilometers, which can exceed 50 km with certain advanced shells, the Archer artillery system, produced by a Swedish subsidiary of the arms giant BAE Systems, is of the same class as the French Caesar cannon. .
Placed on an all-terrain truck, it is capable of firing several shells in a few tens of seconds, then moving almost immediately afterwards, making it formidable in destroying enemy artillery.
Sweden had been studying their shipment for several months.
The contact group for Ukraine, which brings together some fifty countries led by the United States, met on Friday at the American base in Ramstein in Germany to coordinate the continuation of aid to Kyiv.
In recent days, the United Kingdom has already announced the shipment of Challenger 2 tanks, France of AMX-10 RC light tanks and the Netherlands of a Patriot surface-to-air battery.
Delivering long-range weapons to Kyiv would lead to escalation, Kremlin warns
The Kremlin warned Thursday that the delivery to Ukraine by the West of long-range weapons, capable of hitting Russian territory in depth, would lead to a dangerous escalation of the armed conflict between Kyiv and Moscow.
“It is potentially very dangerous, it would mean that the conflict would reach a new level which would not promise anything good for European security”, declared the spokesman of the Russian presidency, Dmitry Peskov.
He mentioned the potential delivery of “weapons that can strike Russian territory” even if “Ukraine already has weapons that it uses to carry out strikes on Russian territory every day”, he added. .
Mr. Peskov was reacting to comments by the Russian ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, who assured that Moscow would “destroy” any weapon delivered by Washington or NATO to Ukraine.
The statements come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday criticized Berlin’s hesitation to deliver heavy tanks, on the eve of a crucial meeting of the Contact Group for Ukraine in Ramstein, Germany, to coordinate the continuation of aid in Kyiv.
Since the beginning of the conflict, the West has refused to deliver long-range missiles to Kyiv, for fear of causing an escalation.
Moscow, however, accused the Ukrainian military of carrying out drone strikes in annexed Crimea and on targets in Russia hundreds of kilometers from the Ukrainian border, including in December against the Russian military airfield in Engels.