‘A joke’: Germany scoffs at sending helmets to Ukraine Ukraine-Russia crisis News

Ukrainian and German officials are complaining about Berlin’s offer to Kiev in times of crisis, saying that weapons are needed rather than protective equipment.

Germany, which has refused to hand over weapons to Ukraine in the face of a Russian invasion, offered to send 5,000 helmets on Tuesday, a move the Kiev mayor described as a “complete joke”.

German Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht has said the planned delivery will send a “very clear signal” that Germany is holding Ukraine back in the face of tensions with Russia.

But Kiev mayor Vitali Klitschko said the helmet’s offer had left her “mouth open”.

He accused Germany of not understanding that “we are facing a well-equipped Russian army that could start invading Ukraine at any moment.”

“Five thousand helmets are a complete joke,” he told Bildu newspaper. “What will Germany send next? Pillows? ”

This move was also shaken in Germany, with a memo encouraging a young man to wear a cycling helmet using a picture from a 2019 campaign on social media, with the slogan: “Looks like a bitch. But it saves my life.”

With thousands of Russian soldiers gathered on the Ukrainian border, fears of a major conflict in Europe are mounting.

Calls on Ukraine to strengthen its defense capabilities with Western allies have been agreed by the United States, the United Kingdom and the Baltic states to send weapons to Kyiv, including anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.

But Germany has refused to supply weapons to Ukraine, believing that this will exacerbate the conflict.

Defense Minister Lambrecht said earlier this week that Germany would hand over a rural hospital to Ukraine, and that Berlin had already provided respirators.

But Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has condemned Germany for refusing to supply weapons to Kiev, calling on Berlin to “weaken the union” and stop “encouraging Vladimir Putin.”