Germany says it will send 5,000 helmets to Ukraine after being slammed for refusing to send weapons

An instructor trains members of Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Forces, volunteer military units of the Armed Forces, in a park in Kyiv.

AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky

Germany’s defense minister said Germany will send Ukraine 5,000 helmets after it was criticized for not sending the country weapons despite the threat of a Russian invasion.

Christine Lambrecht told Germany’s defense committee about the plans on Wednesday, the defense ministry tweeted. 

The ministry said Lambrecht “also made it clear that Germany stands closely on the side of” Ukraine.

German officials previously said the country would not send weapons to Ukraine, but that it would send a field hospital.

In response, Vitali Klitschko, Kyiv’s mayor accused Germany of a betrayal of friends.”

Germany was also criticized by Ukraine after Germany’s top navy officer said Russia “deserves respect” over Ukraine.

That officer later resigned. Germany then said on Monday it would help Ukraine by giving it financial aid, though it did not say how much.