By Oliver Towfigh Nia
BERLIN (AA) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday pledged continued military support for Ukraine in its war with neighboring Russia.
“We will continue to support Ukraine with the necessary weapons during the war. But we will also do that afterward. I think that is very important,” Scholz said at a news conference in Berlin.
“We support Ukraine financially and humanitarianly, but also with arms supplies so that they can defend their country's independence. We act cautiously, coordinate with our allies and do not go it alone. In this way, we are now the second largest supporter of Ukraine after the United States,” he added.
Earlier this week, Germany approved for Ukraine a €700 million ($769 million) military aid package that included air defense equipment, infantry fighting vehicles, main battle tanks and artillery ammunition.
The new package contains two American-made but German-owned Patriot air defense launchers, 40 more Marder infantry fighting vehicles, an additional 25 Leopard 1A5 main battle tanks, five recovery tanks and 20,000 rounds of artillery ammunition.
An “extensive package” of anti-drone capabilities and Luna intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) drones have also been included, according to the German Defense Ministry.
About the US decision to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine, Scholz said that Germany does not have to comment on the sovereign decisions of other states and stressed the importance of a convention banning this type of munitions.
The US government has "made a decision that is not ours, but that it has made sovereignly."
At the same time, Scholz underlined: "But I want to say again: For me, this convention is of great importance."