Estonia wants to deliver weapons to Ukraine, threatened by Russia – but it seems that Germany does not want to allow this!
In a joint statement on Friday, the Baltic states Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania announced that they would provide Ukraine with anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles so that Kiev could defend itself “in the event of a possible Russian attack”. In the case of Estonia at least, this project may fail – because Germany prevents a NATO ally from doing so The Wall Street Journal mentioned.
Unlike the United States, Britain, Poland and other allies, the German government refused to ship arms to Ukraine. “Our restrictive position is well known and has its roots in history,” Foreign Minister Annalina Barbuk, 41, the Greens, said Monday in Kiev.
In the case of Estonia, Germany’s restrictive position also includes allowing a third country to supply arms to Ukraine.
︎ The reason why Estonia needs German approval at all: According to Estonian and German officials, the weapons come from Germany, the Wall Street Journal writes.
“We hope to have Germany’s approval,” Kristo En Vaja, an advisor to the Estonian Defense Minister, was quoted as saying. “Estonia has shown that we want to help Ukraine in any practical way possible.”
“Preventing arms exports at a time when Ukraine is facing invasion is not a good policy,” Gustav Gressel, an expert at the Berlin-based European Council on Foreign Relations, told the American newspaper.