The Russian ambassador to Germany dismissed the German defense minister's recent claim that the world would be a better place without Russian President Vladimir Putin as "perplexing and pitiful
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th February, 2023) The Russian ambassador to Germany dismissed the German defense minister's recent claim that the world would be a better place without Russian President Vladimir Putin as "perplexing and pitiful."
"We believe that such public remarks are not appropriate. They are perplexing and pitiful," Sergei Nechayev told Sputnik.
He said that the comments that Defense Minister Boris Pistorius made to the Bild tabloid during a trip to Ukraine on Tuesday ran counter to Chancellor Olaf Scholz's claims that he wanted the door to dialogue with Moscow to remain open.
"All in all, I would like to note that aggressive anti-Russia rhetoric is not making peace in Ukraine any likelier. Neither do active efforts to pump German weapons to the regime in Kiev," the diplomat said.
After weeks of deliberations, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that Berlin had decided to send its Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine. In addition, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that Berlin would lift export restrictions on the supply of Leopard tanks to Ukraine by third countries if any such requests were made.
On Wednesday, Pistorius said that the previously announced 14 Leopard 2 tanks will be supplied to Ukraine by the end of March. In addition, he announced an agreement with several European countries on joint deliveries of 20-25 Leopard A1 tanks by the summer and more than 100 by the start of 2024. Overall, Germany plans to supply Ukraine with 178 Leopard tanks of the first generation and 14 Leopard 2 A6s.
