Scholz warns EU weapons support for Ukraine ‘not big enough’

BERLIN (AFP): German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday urged European nations to step up weapons pledges to Ukraine, raising the spectre that help from biggest contributor United States could fall away.

“Europe must do more to support Ukraine in the defense of its own country,” Scholz told Die Zeit weekly in an interview.

“The contributions that European nations have earmarked for 2024 so far are not big enough,” he added.

He urged them to discuss how each country could “significantly expand the support” to Kyiv.

The chancellor also said he was “rather irritated” that Germany was constantly being criticized for not doing enough, when it was already “doing more than all other EU nations — much, much more.”

Ukraine has been pleading for more ammunition and armaments in its fight against Russian troops. Among the weapons Kyiv is seeking are Taurus cruise missiles, which Germany has so far declined to provide.

Nevertheless, Germany accounts for more than half of Europe’s known weapon deliveries to Ukraine.

But it would be “hubris to think that we can do this alone in the long term,” said Scholz.

“It would not be good news if Germany, should the US drop off as a supporter, were to become the biggest supporter of Ukraine at the end,” he said, adding that “we are, as (former chancellor) Helmut Schmidt once said, only a medium-sized power.”

In a phone call with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, Scholz underlined Germany’s “continued and unwavering solidarity with Ukraine” and promised to keep up military support for Kyiv, according to the German leader’s spokesman.

President Joe Biden has made backing Ukraine a priority and US weapons and financial assistance have been crucial in helping the pro-Western country battle against a far larger attacking Russian force.

But opposition Republicans have led a push to halt the effort, refusing to authorize new budget outlays unless the Democrats first agree to sweeping, tough new measures against illegal migration.

With the US in an election year that could again pit Biden against Donald Trump, Zelensky has warned that a Trump return to the White House would likely bring a “different policy” on the war.