Former Ukrainian Ambassador explains why Germany has been reluctant to give Ukraine weapons 

Former Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk shared his opinions in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.

"The Germans did not want to see our country as a full-fledged subject, and Ukrainians as a cultural nation (Kulturnation) ready to fight for their statehood. Instead, for Germany, Russia has been, is and will remain a great power, a key geopolitical player on the continent, no matter what they say in Berlin about Putin now," the diplomat said.

"The Germans are already slowly preparing for a new post-war world order, and believe me, Russia will not disappear in this solitaire, Moscow will continue to play a decisive role," he added.

According to the ex-ambassador, Germans were shocked by the brutality demonstrated by Russians in Ukraine, but many of them still consider Russia to be a force that will continue to have a great influence in the international arena, so "Berlin must maintain a delicate balance in the military assistance provided to Ukraine."

• Earlier, the German government agreed to allocate an additional EUR 12 billion for long-term military support to Ukraine, including EUR 3.2 billion in 2023.