BERLIN/MURMANSK, October 2 – Novosti. Next year, Kiev will receive 16 Zuzana self-propelled artillery mounts produced by Slovakia and financed by Germany, Denmark and Norway, German Defense Minister Christina Lambrecht said on Sunday.
“We will continue to assist ( Ukraine – ed.) in various forms, as before – together with partners. Therefore, next year we will be able to supply Ukraine with 16 Zuzana self-propelled howitzer systems, financed by Germany jointly with Denmark and Norway and manufactured in Slovakia,” the politician said live on the Bericht aus Berlin program on the Das Erste TV channel.
The Danish Ministry of Defense also reported that “Denmark has signed an agreement of intent with Slovakia, Norway and Germany, from which it follows that the countries jointly decided to provide financial assistance to Slovakia, which will produce and transfer Zuzana-2 artillery systems to Ukraine.”
In total, the countries agreed to allocate 685 million crowns for these purposes, about a third of them – the money of Denmark.
“With this donation, Denmark once again helps to provide Ukraine with the necessary weapons. The military conflict in Ukraine, unfortunately, will be protracted. Therefore, it is extremely important to support the struggle of Ukrainians for freedom in the long term,” said Minister of Defense of the Kingdom Morten Bydskov, whose words are quoted in message.
Denmark, Ukraine and the UK held the #CopenhagenUkraine conference in August, where 27 countries discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between Ukraine and other countries. It was about the gratuitous transfer of weapons and the training of the military.
Christina Lambrecht visited Odessa on Saturday as part of a previously unannounced working trip, during which she met with her Ukrainian counterpart Alexei Reznikov and promised Kiev an early delivery of IRIS-T air defense systems, which will be at the disposal of the Ukrainian military from day to day.
Russia has previously sent a note to NATO countries because of the supply of weapons to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that any cargo that contains weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia. The Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation stated that the NATO countries are “playing with fire” by supplying weapons to Ukraine.
Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov noted that pumping Ukraine with weapons from the West does not contribute to the success of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and will have a negative effect.
