After tanks, Ukraine seeks warships from Germany

ISTANBUL

Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Melnyk has called on Germany to help boost Kyiv’s naval capabilities, proposing the handover of a submarine and a decommissioned frigate.

Germany this week agreed to send 14 Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine, finally giving in to months of pressure from the US and its NATO allies.

Berlin also said it would allow other countries who have the German-made tanks to deliver them to Ukraine.

“A month ago, Germany decommissioned frigate Lubeck. True, it was 32 years old. But still – with political will – it could be transferred to Ukraine to combat Russian submarines & war ships in the Black Sea,” Melnyk said on Twitter on Sunday.

If not the entire ship, then “its weaponry like Sea Sparrow & Harpoon missiles,” he added.

In another post hours earlier, Melnyk called on Germany to give Ukraine one of its six submarines.

“Germany produces one of the world’s best submarines, the HDW Class 212A. The Bundeswehr has six such U-boats. Why not send one to Ukraine?” he said.

He later said in another message that he had the experience of being on board such a submarine back in 2008, during his time as Ukraine's consul general to Germany.

Recalling a dialogue, Melnyk said: "One admiral told me: you just need one submarine to keep Russia's Black Sea fleet in check."

Melnyk served as Ukraine's consul in Germany between 2007 and 2012, and later as Kyiv's ambassador to Berlin between 2015 and 2022, after which he became deputy foreign minister last November.