German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the country will supply Ukraine with 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 stinger missiles, marking a reversal in Germany’s arms-export policy.
“The Russian attack marks a turning point,” Scholz said on Twitter. “It is our duty to do our best to help Ukraine defend against the invading army of Putin.”
If a nation with reserves wants to transfer a weapon that originated in Germany, it has to ask Berlin for approval. Up until Saturday, the German government has held firm in its stance to restrict lethal weapons with German origin from being sent to conflict zones. That included Ukraine as Russian troops invaded and fired missiles.
However, the German government appeared to cede to pressure from its allies as Ukrainian officials put out calls for help.
“Keep it up, Chancellor @OlafScholz! Anti-war coalition in action!” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote in a tweet.
—Jessica Bursztynsky
