Cannons sold to Finland in the 1990s and subsequently exported to Estonia do not have access to Ukraine.
Germany has banned another military member of NATO, Estonia, from sending field cannons to Ukraine, which were sold from Germany to Finland in the 1990s and later transferred to Estonia. Estonian and German authorities report the newspaper To the Wall Street Journal.
The transfer to Ukraine of weapons originally manufactured in the Soviet Union and exported to East Germany would have required permission from Germany. Germany is taking a very different line from the United States, Britain and Poland, which have given permission for arms transfers from the Baltics to Ukraine.
Speaking to the newspaper, the German authorities justify the decision with a long-term policy to avoid arms deliveries to tense areas.
Inflexibility appoint a new German Chancellor Olaf Scholzin government in question, criticizes an analyst at the U.S. incubator Brookings Institution.
“This is an early test for the new federal chancellor, and it shows whether his coalition will be able to respond to the international crisis. If he is unable to make a modest change to the law, it will call into question his ability to lead foreign policy, ”Brookings said. Michael O’Hanlon says.
An Estonian source tells the newspaper that Estonia is still persuading Germany to change its mind.
Estonia would also need a permit from Finland, as Estonia bought the 122-millimeter howitzers from Finland, which in turn procured them from Germany. In the 1990s, reunited Germany got rid of a large amount of former East German army equipment.
Mightily interviewed in December then Director-General of the Defense Policy Department of the Ministry of Defense Esa Pulkkinen confirmed at the end of December that the Ministry of Defense had received a request from Estonia. Pulkkinen said at the time that before granting or refusing a permit, the Ministry of Defense would ask the Ministry for Foreign Affairs for a statement.
Baltic the countries said on friday they would start supplying weapons to ukraine to strengthen its military forces. The countries’ defense ministers said in a statement.
According to the statement, Estonia will supply Javelin anti-tank missiles, while Latvia and Lithuania will supply Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and related equipment.
The Baltic states, which are all members of the military alliance NATO, said they had received US approval for the matter. Defense ministers also pointed out that they hope that there will be no need for Ukraine to use weapons and that Russia will abandon its aggressive attitude.
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