Pistorius: winter packages with air defense for Ukraine, Putin playing for time
After meeting counterparts from four countries, Germany's defense minister announced winter aid packages for Ukraine, including air defense systems.
Archive image · Photo: Daniel Biskup / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) announced further military aid for Ukraine ahead of winter after meeting his counterparts from France, Poland, Britain and Italy. Winter packages have been put together, including air defense systems, he said, according to ZDF. The group will also push for the United States to keep supplying Ukraine or at least to provide intelligence and satellite data.
Despite talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US, Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no real interest in a ceasefire or peace, Pistorius said. Putin is playing for time and betting on a cold winter in which Ukraine's energy and water supplies are systematically destroyed, he said.