With whom did Germany go in the Ukraine crisis? Germany has not only refused to send military support to Kiev but also blocked NATO shipping air passages, according to data obtained by online tracking services. FlightRadar 24. So much so that the planes Royal Air Force Britain had to fly a longer route to avoid crossing German airspace. Germany has also ruled out for now arms shipments to Ukraine according to the Defense Minister, Christina Lambrechtthus raising all suspicion.

Meanwhile, Germany denies it has blocked the passage of British planes. A spokesperson for Ministry of Defense Germany has denied that there is a dispute between the UK and Germany on this issue, arguing that “there is no UK request for flights.” But the reality was that British planes had to fly longer routes to avoid German airspace because of Berlin’s opposition to lending airspace.

Ukraine has pleaded with Germany to give up arms to prevent a Russian attack, increasing pressure on the chancellor. Olaf Scholz, which has so far refused requests for Ukrainian military assistance. Andriy Melnyk, Kiev’s ambassador to Berlin, said Ukraine wanted German warships to help defend against Russian attacks on the Black and Sea coasts of Azov, and anti-aircraft systems to prevent attacks from the air, a request that even now has fallen on deaf ears.

Scholz, who took over as Angela Merkel last month, has repeatedly rejected requests for arms supplies to Ukraine and gave evasive answers when asked whether the gas pipeline Nord Steam 2 from Russia to Germany can be attacked in the event of an attack.

It prompted academics and foreign policy experts to write open letters over the weekend condemning his position and calling for a tougher stance, and has prompted a rift in his fledgling coalition government with ministers urging him to go further. This is why many people describe Germany’s position as ‘soft’.

more controversial

To this should be added the controversial statement by the head of the German Navy, Kay-Achim Schoenbach, who has resigned after the controversy generated by statements in which he rejected Ukraine’s option to join NATO and declared that Crimea, occupied by Russia, “will never” be Ukraine again.

Ukraine summoned the German ambassador in Kiev this Saturday morning, Anka Feldhusen, to file a formal protest against Schoenbach’s claims. “We have stressed how unacceptable the statements of the German naval commander, Kay-Achim Schoenbach, in particular that Crimea will never return to Ukraine and that our country cannot meet the criteria for joining NATO,” Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained in a statement shortly after. Kiev thus expressed “great disappointment” over this incident and refusal to German government to send defense weapons to Ukraine.