Germany announces additional €1 billion military aid for Ukraine ahead of winter

Germany has announced an additional package of military aid for Ukraine worth €1 billion (US$1.1 billion) as Ukrainian troops are slowly pressing ahead with their so-called counteroffensive against Russian troops.

German Defense Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that the new “winter package” will include an extra Patriot air defense system, as well as two more IRIS-T air defense missile systems capable of short- and medium-range protection which will be delivered this month.

It will also include 10 more German-made Leopard 2 tanks and three additional Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns as well as extra ammunition and vehicles which Ukraine will receive over the coming weeks.

The German ministry did not mention when the US-built Patriot air defense systems would be delivered to Ukraine but said training for Ukrainian soldiers on how to use the missile system would begin in the coming weeks.

The ministry further noted that Germany will also spend around €20 million on a support package for Ukraine's special forces, "including vehicles, weapons and personal equipment."

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Germany has collected a new package of military equipment for Ukraine worth 2.7 billion euros ($3.0 billion), Berlin

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also said that with this new winter package, Berlin “is further enhancing the readiness of the Ukrainian armed forces in the coming months," adding that the new air defense package "has a value of around €1 billion.”

In a social media post, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was grateful to Germany for the aid package, adding that this is exactly the support we need as winter approaches and the one we discussed with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Granada.

The latest development comes as Scholz’s fractious ruling center-left coalition has received a sharp rebuke after voters handed victory to the opposition conservatives on Sunday.

The poll results, according to elections experts, are bound to stoke tensions in the already weak ruling coalition, with Scholz being accused of failing to show the strong leadership needed to impose order and tackle the economic crisis caused by Berlin’s support for the US-led proxy war in Ukraine against Russia.

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Hundreds of anti-government and pacifist protesters rallied in the city of Lubmin.

Germany was initially reluctant to ship heavy weapons to Ukraine to help it fight Russia, fearing an escalation of the conflict. However, under heavy pressure from the United States and other hawkish NATO allies, Berlin agreed to supply Ukraine with lethal weapons.

The country is now the second-biggest supplier of military assistance to Kiev after the US.

The newest arms package for Ukraine was unveiled as a round of talks is held in Brussels to discuss the coordination of military aid for Ukraine, amid a race to step up weapons deliveries to the former Soviet state ahead of winter.

Zelensky visited the NATO military alliance headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday to demand more military equipment to help his country through another wartime winter.

The Ukrainian president said the coming cold months would be one of Ukraine's biggest challenges, stressing that Kiev needs some support from the Western countries.

 NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who was standing alongside Zelenskiy, accused Russia of "preparing once again to use winter as a weapon of war" by attacking energy infrastructure in Ukraine.

"We need to prevent that, with more advanced and increased capabilities for air defense, we can make a big difference," he said.

Western long-range missiles to Ukraine will fuel 'spiraling tension': Russia

Russia has warned any supply of long-range missiles to Ukraine by Germany and France would lead to a further round of "spiraling tension" in the ongoing conflict.

Meanwhile, Belgium has announced that it will send several Belgian F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, starting in 2025.

Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder made the announcement on Bel RTL radio, without mentioning how many jets would be sent to Ukraine.

He also said that in addition to sending fighters, Belgium would continue the training of Ukrainian pilots and would offer to take over the maintenance of the entire F-16 fleet of the aviation coalition.

The West has continued to provide Ukraine with military equipment worth tens of billions of dollars since Russia began its military campaign in Ukraine in February last year.

Moscow has repeatedly warned that the influx of Western weapons will only prolong the war.

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