German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that his country is working on a deal with Greece, under which Athens will deliver old military equipment to Ukraine and obtain armored personnel carriers from Germany to bridge the gap.
Germany referred to arrangements for NATO allies to deliver old equipment, particularly of Soviet design, to Kyiv and then supply modern materials from Germany.
Also, Schulz drew attention on Tuesday to an arrangement already made with the Czech Republic. He said he had agreed with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to conclude a similar agreement after the EU summit.
Schulz did not give details, but said it would be finalized by the two countries' defense ministries and could be implemented quickly.
Schulz said he also spoke to his Polish counterpart about such arrangements, according to the Associated Press.
Develop its military power
In a related context, Germany indicated that it had purchased 60 military helicopters from the American aircraft manufacturer Boeing.
It announced that it was spending about 100 billion euros to develop its military power, spending more than 16 billion euros to develop its army and tanks, and more than 19 billion euros to increase its missile and naval forces.
Also, it said it was spending more than 40 billion euros to strengthen its air force.
It is noteworthy that the German chancellor faced increasing pressure at home to send heavy weapons to the Ukrainian forces.
Increasing pressure
So far, Berlin has contented itself with sending only anti-tank weapons, surface-to-air missiles, ammunition and defensive weapons to Ukraine.
But the government has pledged more than 1 billion euros in financial aid so Kyiv can buy the weapons it needs to fight.
It is noteworthy that since the launch of the Russian military operation on Ukrainian soil on February 24, most European countries have lined up with Kyiv, supporting it with weapons and equipment, in a move that Moscow sharply criticized, accusing the West of seeking to prolong the conflict.
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- Agencies