Ukrainian envoy requests 30 percent of Germany’s army gear

(MENAFN) Ukrainian UN envoy Andrey Melnik has called on Germany to transfer 30% of its military vehicles and aircraft to Ukraine, urging Chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz to take bold action to help end the conflict with Russia by the end of 2025.

In an open letter published in Welt am Sonntag, Melnik — who previously served as Ukraine’s ambassador to Berlin — outlined a list of demands aimed at pressuring Russian President Vladimir Putin into peace negotiations. Among the requests were the donation of approximately 45 Eurofighter Typhoons, 30 Tornado jets, 100 Leopard 2 tanks, and over 240 infantry fighting vehicles (Puma and Marder models).

He also called for Germany to deliver 150 Taurus cruise missiles, despite opposition from the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which has warned that such moves could dangerously escalate the conflict. The SPD and Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) are currently in coalition talks.

Melnik further proposed that Germany allocate 0.5% of its GDP — roughly €21.5 billion annually — for military aid to Ukraine until 2029. He suggested this spending should be used to support weapons manufacturing both in Germany and Ukraine and encouraged the EU to adopt the same funding benchmark as a strong signal to Russia.

Merz has shown some willingness to consider sending Taurus missiles to Kiev, which has triggered criticism from SPD officials and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. Meanwhile, Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergey Nechayev warned that supplying these weapons would not change the outcome on the battlefield but would further entangle Germany in the war.

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