German weapon blockade encourages Russia - Ukraine

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has criticised Germany for its refusal to supply weapons to Kiev, urging Berlin to stop "undermining unity" and "encouraging Vladimir Putin" amid fears of a Russian invasion.

Germany's statements "about the impossibility of supplying defence weapons to Ukraine" did not match "the current security situation", Kuleba said on Twitter on Saturday.

The minister stressed that the unity of the West in relation to Russia is more important than ever.

Germany has blocked NATO ally Estonia from giving military support to Ukraine by refusing to issue permits for German-origin weapons to be exported to Kyiv as it braces for a potential Russian invasion. 

"The German partners must stop undermining unity with such words and actions and encouraging (Russian President) Vladimir Putin to launch a new attack on Ukraine," Kuleba said.

Ukraine is "grateful" to Germany for the support it has already provided, but its "current statements are disappointing", he added.

READ MORE: Baltic States sending US-made anti-tank, anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine

'Deep disappointment'

In a separate development, the foreign ministry said it had also summoned the German ambassador to Ukraine, Anka Feldhusen, to stress "the categorical unacceptability" of comments by German naval chief Kay-Achim Schoenbach in which he called Russian plans to invade Ukraine "inept".

Ukraine's foreign ministry added in a statement that it wanted to express its "deep disappointment" at the German's government's "failure to provide defence weapons to Ukraine".

Earlier on Saturday, German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said Berlin would send a field hospital to Ukraine, while once again rejecting Kiev's calls for weapons.

Berlin has already delivered respirators to Ukraine and severely injured Ukrainian soldiers are currently being treated in Bundeswehr hospitals, she told Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

"Weapons deliveries would not be helpful at the moment — that is the consensus within the government," Lambrecht said.

With tens of thousands of Russian troops gathered on the Ukrainian border, fears are mounting that a major conflict could break out in Europe.

Moscow insists it has no plans to invade Ukraine but has at the same time laid down a series of security demands — including a ban on Ukraine joining NATO — in exchange for de-escalation.

Ukraine's calls to Western allies to bolster its defence capabilities have seen the United States, Britain and Baltic states agree to send to Kiev weapons, including anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.

READ MORE: US, Russia agree to soothe Ukraine tensions, more talks next week