The governments of Germany, France and the Netherlands announced on Saturday (26) that they will send weapons to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian invasion, increasing their involvement in the war that started two days ago in the Eastern European country.
Berlin officials promised to send 1,000 anti-tank rocket launchers and 500 surface-to-air missiles to Kiev. According to the statement, the delivery will be made “as soon as possible”.
“The Russian invasion marks a turning point. It is our duty to do our best to support Ukraine in its self-defense against Putin’s invading army,” wrote German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz on Twitter.
The decision marks a change from a decades-old policy in Berlin of not exporting weapons, even defensive ones, to conflict regions.
Earlier on Saturday, Germany had authorized the Netherlands to send 400 German-made grenade launchers to Ukraine. Countries that buy weapons from Germany need to ask the authorities in Berlin for authorization to do this type of shipment.
The Netherlands also announced the dispatch of 200 surface-to-air missiles and 50 anti-tank weapons, with 400 rounds of ammunition, to Ukraine.
For its part, the French government has said it will send defensive weapons and fuel to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The government of President Emmanuel Macron has also said it will tighten economic sanctions against Russia.
European Council President Charles Michel said on Twitter that the European Union will facilitate the delivery of military aid to Ukraine, without providing details on the measure.
The arms shipment announcements came on the same day that Germany changed its stance on restricting Russia’s access to the global Swift payments system to supporting even tougher sanctions. The country has already frozen the Nord Stream 2 pipeline licensing process and supported sanctions approved within the European Union.
Also on Saturday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the two leaders agreed that Russia needs to be isolated “completely, diplomatically and financially”, according to a London government spokesman.
They signaled support for the move to restrict Russia’s access to Swift.
If implemented, the Swift restriction should make it harder for Russian companies to do business, as the system facilitates communication and payments in international trade. The cut is also supported by countries such as Italy, Greece and Hungary. According to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, a decision on Swift could come in “the coming days”.
In yet another sign of Moscow’s growing isolation, other European countries on Saturday announced the closure of their airspace to flights from Russia.
Estonia, Latvia, Romania, Slovenia and Lithuania warned that they would ban Russian airlines. The Czech Republic will close its airspace from Sunday (27). Bulgaria and the United Kingdom had already announced similar measures.
International pressure seeks to weaken Russia after President Vladimir Putin authorized the invasion of Ukraine last Thursday (24). The clashes reached the center of Kiev this Saturday.
The Kremlin’s stated aim is to support rebels in eastern Ukraine, but Russian officials have already signaled that they intend to overthrow the government and regain political control over their neighbour.
