Defense leaders for over 40 countries met at the U.S. Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Tuesday to coordinate efforts of military aid for Ukraine. At this meeting, Germany contradicted previous statements made by its government.
Originally, Berlin said it couldn’t send its Marder infantry vehicles to Ukraine, then they would be sent to Slovenia who would then sent its Soviet-era tanks to Ukraine. After Tuesday’s meeting, however, Germany has given the greenlight for Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns to be sent to Ukraine. Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht vowed for Berlin to stand together along with the other countries with Ukraine. There was a previous policy against Germany sending weapons into an active conflict zone, however, political and public pressure has caused the German government to change its stance. In a recent poll, 55% of Germans supported the sending of heavy weapons to Ukraine.
Read more: After hesitancy, Germany greenlights some heavy arms for Ukraine
