Ukraine will receive its first batch of heavy weapons from Germany around June 22 - Ukrainian Ambassador to Berlin Andrey Melnyk told Ukrainian daily Novoye Vremya on June 10. He added that the arms are expected to include the seven PzH 2000 self-propelled artillery shells that German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht had promised in early May.
We will receive these systems around June 22, Ambassador Melnyk said. June 22 was the first day the German commune attacked the Soviet Union in 1941. Ukraine was one of the first Soviet territories to be attacked by the German capital.
Ambassador Melnyk himself did not comment on choosing this symbolic day. Instead, he continued to say that Ukraine would receive 15 more Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery systems by the end of July and 15 other Gepard systems a month later.
The German Defense Ministry had previously confirmed plans to send 15 Gepard systems to Ukraine in July. Berlin has been arming Kiev since almost the end of the February military campaign. However, all the weapons so far are small arms, anti-tank missiles and mobile air defense, as well as ammunition and fuel.
The German government's policies on the issue have been heavily criticized by Ukraine, some EU countries and even German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition partners. Ambassador Melnyk himself did not mind criticizing the German government and even Prime Minister Scholz when he refused to visit Kiev after the Ukrainian government said it was unwelcoming German President Frank-Walter Steinmeiers visit to Ukraine in mid-April.
On June 10, Ambassador Melnyk again accused the German government of delaying the delivery of heavy weapons and said that Kiev had reached agreements with German arms manufacturers and had been waiting for the government's approval for weeks.
In another development, German newspaper Bild am Sonntag quoted French and Ukrainian government sources as saying on June 11 that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will travel to Kiev with his French and Italian counterparts before the G7 summit in late June.
Meanwhile, a German government spokesman told Reuters: "We cannot confirm this." Elysee refused to confirm the information. The Italian government did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.
No of the three leaders have been to Kiev since Russia launched its military campaign in Ukraine in February. However, French President Emmanuel Macron has sought to maintain dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin since the war began. His stance has been criticized by some Eastern European and Baltic partners as an act of undermining efforts to pressure Mr. Putin to sit at the negotiation table.
