Slovenian PM takes blame for German arms shipment delays to Ukraine – EURACTIV.com

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Instead of direct weapons deliveries to Ukraine, Germany supplies arms via so-called chain swaps, where eastern European member states deliver their Soviet tanks to Ukraine in exchange for modernized from German stocks.

After Germany faced heavy criticism for the slow pace of the deliveries, new Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob took some of the blame for the delays.

Delays in the delivery of arms to Ukraine from a chain swap deal between Germany and Slovenia were due to the process of government formation in Ljubljana, Golob said during a visit to Berlin on Tuesday.

Unfortunately, this dragged on a bit because there was a change of government going on here, Golob said during a joint press conference with German chancellor Olaf Scholz after the two had bilateral talks during the new Slovenian prime ministers inaugural visit to Berlin.

Golob and his government took office in early June, following the Slovenian parliamentary elections in April.

But we have picked this up resolutely and have already sent one shipment of tanks to Ukraine, he added.

The Berlin government recently came under fire for delays in following up on promised weapons deliveries to Kyiv.

The first heavy weapons deliveries reached Ukraine on 21 June, after German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said earlier that the process could take ‘several months’, prompting heavy criticism from Ukrainian officials and Western audiences.

On the wave of backlash the government in Berlin published its first full list showing the equipment it said it had already sent to Ukraine and pledged items, since then constantly updated.

In the case of Slovenia, through a swap deal struck back in April, Berlin was set to deliver German ‘Marder’ and ‘Fuchs’ tanks to Ljubljana in exchange for Slovenia shipping Soviet-era tanks to Ukraine.

On Tuesday, Golob promised to speed up talks with Germany regarding future cooperation on weapon deliveries, while Scholz agreed that we will have to make swift progress.

The German chancellor stressed that both countries were united in the conviction that Ukraine will continuously need to receive comprehensive support in defending itself against the Russian aggression.

Meanwhile, as international support for Ukraine loses momentum, Germany keeps refusing to deliver high-tech tanks to Ukraine, instead betting on the Eastern European arms swaps, insisting this approach was taken in close consultation with its transatlantic allies.

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