"I'm very ashamed": German Vice Chancellor apologises for delay in arms supplies to Ukraine

German Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economy Robert Habeck has apologised for the late delivery of weapons to Ukraine. The German government made the decision to transfer much-needed equipment to Ukrainian defenders too late.

Habeck said this during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The video was posted on social media (to watch the video, scroll to the bottom of the page).

"You explained to me, as well as to other members of the cabinet, that the threat of war was real. At that time, we started a debate in Germany that we should also support Ukraine with weapons. At the time, Germany was unable or unwilling to do so," Habeck told Zelenskyy.

"I'm very ashamed of all this... part of my job last year was to help Ukraine provide weapons as quickly as possible and in the maximum quantity," he added.

It is worth noting that among Ukraine's NATO allies, Germany has drawn the most criticism for its military assistance to Ukraine. Shortly before Russia launched its large-scale invasion on February 24, Germany's offer to send thousands of helmets to Ukraine was met with derision.

Analysts believe that the criticism was not entirely deserved, as Germany is one of the largest arms donors to Ukraine after the United States and the United Kingdom.

However, when it came to German tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, Germany delayed the decision to supply such equipment. Later, the deliveries were unblocked, but precious time was lost for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The day before, Habek arrived in Ukraine for talks with the country's top leadership. It is the first time he has visited our country since the invasion of Russian troops. According to Habeck, the purpose of his trip is to give Ukraine a clear signal that Germany believes in the victory over Russia.

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz believes that the war that Russia has unleashed in Ukraine will last for a long time. The aggressive war will continue until the Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin realises that he cannot annex a large part of Ukrainian territory.

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