Scholz on heavy weaponry support for Ukraine

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday his country is supporting Ukraine by delivering heavy weaponry to the country. Speaking at a news conference with the foreign press, he said Germany has pledged to equip Ukraine with some of the advanced weapons it has long desired for shooting down aircraft and knocking out artillery, as Russian forces closed in on capturing a key city in the east."We have also now decided that we will deliver the IRIS-T system, which can protect the airspace of a city like Odesa or Kiev. Something very special that is, of course, highly sought after," said Scholz.

Germany has faced criticism for a perceived reluctance to deliver heavy weapons to Ukraine, which the government rejects. Scholz added that Germany has already an arrangement made with the Czech Republic and that it is working on a deal with Greece that would see Athens deliver old military equipment to Ukraine and get armored personnel carriers from Germany to fill the gap.