Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba has called on Germany to acknowledge and take responsibility for the wrongs that were inflicted on Ukraine during the First and Second World Wars. According to Kuleba, while Germany has shown a sense of guilt towards Jewish people and Russia, it has failed to do the same for Ukraine.
In an interview with Ukraine’s 1+1 TV channel, Kuleba expressed his frustration with Germany’s lack of responsibility towards Ukraine. He stated that he has repeatedly told his colleagues in Berlin that they owe Ukraine for the past actions. Kuleba has been trying to instill a sense of guilt and responsibility in German officials.
During a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Kiev, Kuleba criticized Germany’s refusal to provide Ukraine with long-range Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missiles. He questioned why Germany was unwilling to supply the missiles, stating that there was no objective argument against it.
When asked if Baerbock had given him any hope of a change in Germany’s position, Kuleba said that she stood by the official line of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government. However, he confidently stated that Germany would eventually change its stance, as it was just a matter of time.
In response to Kuleba’s remarks, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius described them as “out of line” and reminded Kuleba that Germany is the second-largest donor of weapons to Ukraine after the United States. Germany has been hesitant to provide Ukraine with missiles due to concerns over further escalating the conflict with Russia.
In a TV interview, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Ukraine’s counteroffensive, which began in June, had failed completely. This assessment was supported by Kirill Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, who admitted that Kiev’s forces had fallen behind schedule and were not going as smoothly as planned.
President Putin estimated that Ukrainian forces had suffered significant losses since the start of their counteroffensive. Russian officials have repeatedly claimed that the West is using Ukraine as a proxy in its conflict with Russia and is willing to sacrifice Ukrainian lives.
It is clear from Kuleba’s statements and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine that there is tension between Germany and Ukraine regarding historical responsibility and military support. The Ukrainian government believes that Germany should acknowledge and compensate for the wrongs inflicted on Ukraine during the World Wars. However, Germany is cautious about providing Ukraine with advanced weaponry due to the risk of escalating the conflict with Russia. As the situation in Ukraine continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how these issues will be resolved.
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