Western nations would do far better to funnel weapons, ammunition and cash to Kiev to help with defense against a purported Russian invasion, rather than continue to hype up the risks of an all-out war, Ukraine’s Minister of Culture and Information Policy has declared.
Speaking during an appearance on Ukrainian television channel 1+1 on Monday, Alexander Tkachenko weighed in on the steps some countries are taking to support the former Soviet Republic.
“The position of the West sometimes reminds me of a man who is sitting in a car and sees that someone is about to be beaten, he waves his hand and says, ‘well, when you get beaten, we’ll call for medical help.’”
According to the minister, “instead of talking,” Ukraine’s Western allies should stop the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline, give “more weapons from the very countries” that do not provide armaments and offer “help in the form of economic guarantees.”
Tkachenko’s remarks come in the wake of condemnation from Kiev over Germany’s refusal to authorize the transfer of lethal weapons to the country, mooted in the face of an alleged impending Russian invasion. Last week, Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany Andrey Melnik criticized Berlin for its decision to deliver 5,000 military helmets, despite the Eastern European nation’s requests for armaments.
Melnik argued that the move is “purely symbolic,” and merely a “drop in the ocean” in countering threats posed by Moscow. “We do not need tactics and maneuvering, but courageous action… which will finally provide Ukraine with German defensive weapons,” the envoy insisted.
Berlin, however, has pointed to its stated policy of not supplying weapons to conflict zones, which the new coalition government says has been in place for years. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had explained earlier in January that the weapons-export policy is “rooted in our history.”
Western leaders have repeatedly sounded the alarm in recent weeks, claiming that Russian troops could be planning to launch an invasion of its neighbor. However, Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations and instead accused Western nations of encouraging Kiev’s officials to take anti-Russian actions.
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