ASTANA, October 14. /TASS/. The German authorities’ decision to comply with NATO commitments to the detriment of national interests is a mistake, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the media on Friday.
"Apparently, some kind of allied obligations enjoy priority. In this case, those of the Federal Republic of Germany within the framework of the North Atlantic Alliance. Is this right or wrong? I believe that this is a mistake and that businesses, the economy, and the citizens of the Federal Republic have to pay for this, because it has negative economic consequences for the Eurozone in general and for the Federal Republic, in particular," Putin said.
It is up to the German authorities to decide what is more important for them: ensuring their national interests or complying with NATO obligations, he stressed.
"This choice is to be made by those people who legitimately came to power in this or that country, in this case, in Germany. They should make up their mind what is more important for them: the fulfillment of some allied obligations the way they see them, or ensuring the interests of their own people - their national interests," Putin said.
On August 23, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced Germany’s intention to supply to Ukraine three additional IRIS-T air defense systems, 10 armored recovery vehicles, 20 rocket launchers, precision-guided munitions and anti-drone defense systems. The hardware will be handed over in 2023. Some types of equipment may be provided earlier.