BERLIN (AP) 鈥 German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's spokesman on Wednesday defended Berlin's record on delivering arms to Ukraine after the vice chancellor, a rare prewar advocate of providing Kyiv with weapons, said this week he was 鈥渄eeply ashamed鈥 that it took Germany so long to shift its position.
Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, who is also Germany's economy minister and responsible for energy, took a business delegation to Ukraine this week on his first trip to the country since Russia launched its full-scale invasion last year.
In May 2021, Habeck 鈥 then a co-leader of Germany鈥檚 Green party, which was in opposition 鈥 visited Ukraine and called for the delivery of 鈥渄efensive weapons.鈥 His comment drew widespread criticism at the time, even within his own party.
A video clip of his Monday meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, posted on the Ukrainian leader鈥檚 Telegram channel, showed Habeck saying of Germany鈥檚 weapons deliveries to Ukraine, 鈥淲e changed our position, but it took too long and was too late.鈥
鈥淚 think not all of the German politicians would say the same, but I feel deeply ashamed,鈥 Habeck said. He stressed that part of his job over the past year has been 鈥渢o help delivering weapons as fast and as many as we could, and this is an ongoing promise.鈥
Scholz's government, which took office in December 2021, shortly after Russia invaded the country. Although Germany has become continental Europe's to Ukraine, the German government and Scholz have continued to face periodic criticism for perceived reluctance to step up aid 鈥 notably ahead of to supply battle tanks.
Scholz鈥檚 spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, on Wednesday defended .
鈥淭he chancellery is still firmly of the opinion that we have done exactly the right thing, always at the right time,鈥 he told reporters in Berlin. Hebestreit pointed to the German leader鈥檚 oft-repeated principles of supporting Ukraine as strongly as possible, preventing a direct conflict between Russia and NATO, and acting in coordination with allies, 鈥渁bove all with our American partners and friends.鈥
Hebestreit said he didn鈥檛 want to comment on Habeck鈥檚 words, which 鈥渟tand for themselves.鈥
