Germany sends field Hospital to Ukraine as War Fears Grow

As fears of war grow, Germany has announced it is to send a field hospital to the Ukraine. The hospital is in addition to the respirators that have already been delivered to the country.
The announcement was made by Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht who said on Saturday that the country is already treating severely injured Ukrainian soldiers in Bundeswehr hospitals.
Germany has however rejected calls from Kyiv for the delivery of much needed weapons.
Lambrecht said: “In February, a complete field hospital will be handed over, including the necessary training, all co-financed by Germany with 5.3 million euros.”
She added: “We are standing on Kyiv’s side. We must do everything to de-escalate the situation.
“Weapons deliveries would not be helpful at the moment, that is the consensus within the government.”
Russia has massed tens of thousands of troops on the Ukrainian border, denying it plans to invade but demanding security guarantees, including a permanent ban on the country joining NATO.
Echoing Western allies, Lambrecht said Moscow’s demand to decide which state joins NATO was a “red line” for the alliance.
“There is no Russian veto-right for membership to NATO. Every sovereign nation that shares our values is free to apply for membership. But beyond this red line, there is readiness from the West to speak with Russia and to take its interests into account,” she said.
Lambrecht also mentioned Mali, where Russia is involved in another conflict, saying that Moscow will not achieve its aims simply by deploying mercenaries to the West African countries. Mali is the epicentre of a jihadist insurgency that began in the north of the country in 2012 and spread three years later to neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso.
Germany has around a thousand troops stationed in Mali as part of the United Nations’ MINUSMA mission, whereas it is believed that several hundred Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group had been deployed in the centre and north of the country.
“Moscow will not succeed in getting the West to carry out a quasi-retreat automatically wherever it doesn’t want to see us by sending mercenaries,” said Lambrecht.
“We will not give way, we will not make it that easy for the Russians.”
The Wagner Group has caused controversy through its involvement in Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic as well as the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Russia denies any government link with the Wagner Group but the unit has been linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin, a businessman close to President Vladimir Putin.
Politicians are hoping sense will prevail as fears of war grow and that Russia will back down, after after all in the interests of everyone that it does.


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Written by

Peter McLaren-Kennedy

Originally from South Africa, Peter is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for the Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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