With over 1,00,000 German citizens coming out to protest in Berlin against Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Sunday, 27 February, Germany has taken a clear stand against Russian President Vladimir Putin, as the country also announced on Sunday its decision to provide weapons and missiles to Ukraine.
Massive protests are being seen throughout Europe and North America, with people taking to streets denouncing the Russian invasion. Protests have also broken out in various other parts of the world.
In the German capital, more than 1,00,000 people gathered at the Brandenburg Gate, a short distance from the Russian embassy, carrying signs that read "Stop the War" and "We stand with Ukraine."
Meanwhile, Germany will supply Ukraine with 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles from Bundeswehr stocks for its defence.
"The Russian invasion of Ukraine marks a turning point. It is our duty to do our best to support Ukraine in defending itself against Putin's invading army," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday.
Welcoming Germany’s decision, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a tweet, "Germany has just announced the provision of anti-tank grenade launchers and Stinger missiles to Ukraine. Keep it up, Chancellor Olaf Scholz!"
A 49-year-old protester Hans Georg Kieler told news agency AFP, "It is important to me for Germany to show that it is standing for democracy in Europe."
Praising his country’s decision to begin delivering armaments, Kieler added that they could have helped Ukraine more.
The protest came on the fourth day of Russia's invasion, triggering three sanctions package from Germany and its western allies and pushing Berlin to shift its decades-long policy of not exporting arms to conflict zones, Reuters reported.
Meanwhile, the president of Lithuania shared a video of him being present at the protest in Berlin.
As many as 352 Ukrainian civilians have been killed in the Russian onslaught, as per Ukraine. Kyiv remains in Ukrainian hands, even as fighting for the capital city continues.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday, ordered his defence chiefs to put the country's "deterrence forces" on high alert – a move that has elicited condemnation from the US and the NATO.
(Wiith inputs from AFP and Reuters.)
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