Immediately after taking office as German Chancellor last week Friedrich Merz agreed with Defence Minister Boris Pistorius that information on German arms supplies to Ukraine would not be published," DPA informs. Thus Merz returns to the practice of the erstwhile government and Chancellor Olaf Scholz from the first months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Weapons supplies were classified until June 2022. And Merz, then the leader of the opposition, powerfully criticized and accused the government that he "risked himself to fishy that he was not keeping his promises." He promised that he would better inform the public about what was being delivered to Ukraine.
"We are being dismissed, there are excuses, there is no exact information about what Germany actually provides. And everything is then justified by the fact that it is essential to keep it secret for safety reasons," Merz said in an interview with ntv and RTL in April 2022.
Two months later, Scholz's government bent under force and published a list of the weapons delivered and promised online. The list was regularly updated – until the government changed on 6 May.
Ukrainian Diplomat: Bad memories return
Merza's volt criticized Ukrainian diplomat, erstwhile ambassador to Berlin Andrij Melnyk. "This brings back bad memories from the time erstwhile in the spring of 2022 the government of the SPD, Greens and FDP coalitions attempted to hide the deficiency of military support, citing a secret," said Melnyk of the DPA agency.
In his opinion, the tactics of the erstwhile German government were "justly criticised, not only by Ukraine itself, but besides by the leader (then) of Friedrich Merz's opposition".
He added, even today, in this decisive phase of the war, it would be crucial for Ukrainian society to know what weapons are being delivered from Germany and how quickly. Publicising arms supply would besides be a strong signal for Russia and would have preventive action. "Putin must know precisely what the fresh German government will do militarily to force him into a just and lasting peace," said Melnyk.
Merza's surroundings talk about tactics
The surrounding of the fresh Chancellor explains the change of his position on the cover-up of arms supplies with the desire to make a "strategic ambiguity". This means keeping the enemy in ignorance of his own actions so as not to give him any military advantage. It is said that this is part of "war tactics" aimed at reducing public debates on arms supply," DPA writes.
There are besides speculations as to whether this proceeding is related to the re-discussion of the anticipation of passing on long-range missiles to Ukraine. Prior to the German elections, Merz declared he would be ready to hand over the taurus. "You can hope that this fresh – very unusual – line has nothing to do with taurus," says Melnyk.
During his Saturday visit to Kiev, Merz – unlike in the past – avoided questions about taurus. "Under my leadership, the debate on the supply of weapons, calibers, weapon systems and so on is kept distant from the public," he said in an interview with Ntv and RTL.
Also the current Ukrainian ambassador to Germany Alexey Makeiev sees no reason to criticize the fresh tactics of the German government, and is even satisfied with it. "A good chess player thinks a fewer moves forward. What he does not do is foretell these moves to his opponent," said Makeyev of the DPA agency.
"As an ambassador of Ukraine, I am privy to specified secrets," he added in relation to the German-designated supplies of arms to his country. "Germany will deliver weapons. We know precisely what and when. And we are happy," he assured.
The head of the MFA answers evasively
The transportation of taurus was besides asked by the head of German diplomacy Johann Wadephul, who on Monday (12 May) attends the gathering of abroad Ministers of the "Weimar plus" group, i.e. large Britain, Poland, France, Spain, Italy and Ukraine in London.
“Moscow should not underestimate the fact that the West is ready to exert quite a few force now,” Wadeful told journalists. – Germany, together with France, Britain and Poland, made it clear that there would be consequences if Putin did not agree to the ceasefire now," he added. We can impose further sanctions. And I know from the United States that there's specified a willingness.
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenski declared on X that on Thursday (15 May) he would be "personally waiting" for Russia's leader Vladimir Putin in Istanbul, where talks are to be held about the end of the fighting in Ukraine. Putin had previously offered direct peace talks, though he did not declare whether he would go to Istanbul himself.
