According to the Ukrainian Ambassador Andriy Melnyk, many Ukrainian refugees are turning their backs on Germany because they don’t feel welcome here. Melnyk said on Monday on “Bild” TV: “Most Ukrainians have been returning for a long time. There are more people leaving this country than coming to you.”

In Germany, people should think about why so many Ukrainians “don’t want to stay here”. The ambassador says that from the Ukrainian point of view, Germany bears responsibility for many of the dead because it has not yet delivered any heavy weapons.

Melnyk expects Chancellor Olaf Scholz to promise delivery of German tanks to Ukraine when he visits Kyiv. “Unfortunately, without German heavy weapons, we will not be able to break Russia’s massive military superiority and save the lives of soldiers and civilians,” Melnyk told the German Press Agency. “The Ukrainians expect that Chancellor Olaf Scholz will announce a new aid package for German armaments during his visit to Kyiv, which should definitely include Leopard 1 main battle tanks and Marder infantry fighting vehicles that can be delivered immediately.”

According to media reports, Scholz plans to travel to Kyiv this month with French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. Officially, the visit was neither confirmed nor denied.

More on the Ukraine war at Tagesspiegel Plus:

Melnyk said it was disappointing how slowly Germany was delivering arms to Ukraine. Six million rounds of ammunition have arrived since May 3, but no more weapons. “Therefore, we hope that the traffic light government will finally step on the gas pedal to massively increase both the scope and pace for Ukraine to repel the Russian major offensive in Donbass.”