Scholz, Macron and Tusk agree to accelerate the purchase of weapons for Ukraine “across the world market” |

Germany, France and Poland tried this Friday to offer an image of strong support for Ukraine in a context of doubts about whether it has enough weapons to resist the Russian offensive. The German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, the French President, Emmanuel Macron, and the Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, have agreed to immediately buy more weapons for Ukraine, turning if necessary to the world market, to stop the recent advances of the forces. Russian. With these measures they wanted to show once again to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, that they are united “closely and unbreakably” on the side of Ukraine.

“We will acquire even more weapons for Ukraine with immediate effect, throughout the world market,” Scholz declared, after their meeting in Berlin, about plans that he described as “a good improvement” and that are in line with their “common objective.” to continue guaranteeing that Ukraine can effectively defend itself from Russian aggression” for which it is necessary to expand the supply as soon as possible, especially of ammunition.

In addition, the three leaders, meeting in the so-called Weimar Triangle, have agreed to expand the production of military equipment, “including through cooperation with Ukrainian partners” and create what Scholz has called a “new coalition of new capabilities” in the framework of the Ramstein format – as the monthly conferences and meetings of the Ukrainian Defense Consultative Group are known – for the supply of long-range missile artillery. The Defense Ministers of the participating countries will be in charge of discussing the details starting next Monday.

Scholz has also referred to strengthening his support for decisions taken within the European Union; such as the one agreed on Wednesday by the Twenty-Seven to create an Assistance Fund for Ukraine endowed with 5,000 million euros per year with which to provide weapons to that country and also reinforce its training. “In addition, Russian assets frozen in Europe will be used in the future to financially support the purchase of weapons for Ukraine,” he detailed.

“As you can see, all three of us take our support for Ukraine seriously. They can also see that solidarity and joint action are essential to defend peace and freedom in Europe,” he pointed out to journalists gathered at the Berlin Chancellery. “We will not relent in our support for Ukraine.”

“Today we have made decisions and announced measures. “As long as it is necessary, we will do everything possible to prevent Russia from winning this war,” Macron declared. “We will continue to support Ukraine as long as possible, Ukraine and the Ukrainian people,” he said. To which he added that they will never take “the initiative of escalation.” In reference to a possible sending of troops to Ukraine, Macron stated: “We have expressed a very firm will in this regard.”

The objective of the meeting of the three leaders was to revitalize a format designed in the 1990s to promote European integration, but which has now also served to build bridges between Macron and Scholz. Tusk was in charge of verbalizing this by stating that “the atmosphere of the meeting clearly demonstrates that those unpleasant rumors that there are disputes or differences of opinion between the capitals of Europe are not true.”

Macron and Scholz have made an effort to show unity and emphasize at all times “a common will” of the three leaders to help Ukraine, after the differences shown in the last three weeks since, after the last Ukrainian summit in Paris, the president French to talk about a possible sending of troops, something that the German chancellor immediately rejected publicly.

This Friday’s mission was to smooth things over or give the impression that they had settled with a strong handshake and broad smiles for the photo and without a single explicit mention of the controversial sending of Western soldiers to Ukraine in their brief statement to the media. .

For weeks, the French leader has maintained a message without red lines. This position contrasts with Scholz, who a few days ago once again appealed for caution in the German Parliament, in the midst of a debate on whether or not to send long-range Taurus missiles. A measure that the German chancellor flatly refuses to avoid what he believes could lead to an open war with Russia; since with a range of 500 kilometers they could reach targets in Russian territory.

For now, it has the support of the German Parliament, which again this week rejected a motion presented by the conservatives to send these missiles. The opposition has seen a point on which to attack the coalition government to weaken it and does not give up in its efforts to accuse Scholz of being “weak” and of telling “half-truths” regarding the Taurus missiles, a material that demands Ukraine for a long time.

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