Germany rejects Ukrainian request for arms deliveries

[June 01, 2021]    BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany on Tuesday rejected calls for arms deliveries to Kyiv, after Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy asked Berlin for assault rifles, radio equipment and armoured vehicles.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy gestures during his annual news conference at the Antonov aircraft plant in Kyiv, Ukraine May 20, 2021. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

"I am convinced the conflict (in eastern Ukraine) can only be resolved by political means," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told journalists ahead of a video conference with his NATO counterparts.

"This will remain the guideline of our engagement with Ukraine, and there will be no change: Arms deliveries won't help," he added.

(Reporting by Sabine Siebold; Editing by Caroline Copley)

[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.