Kyiv mayor accuses Germany of betraying Ukraine after it refused to send weapons

• NATO countries have been sending weapons to Ukraine in case of a Russian invasion.
• Germany said it won't send Ukraine weapons, saying it wants to deescalate tensions.

The mayor of Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, accused Germany of betraying Ukraine by not giving the country arms as Russia appears ready to invade.

In a Sunday op-ed in Germany's Bild newspaper, Vitali Klitschko wrote that Germany's decision to not send weapons to Ukraine and to block Estonia from doing so was a "betrayal of friends."

German officials said the country will not send weapons to Ukraine as they would not help deescalate tensions, but that it would send a field hospital.

Germany also chose not to give fellow NATO member Estonia permission to export old German-made D-30 howitzers to Ukraine.

Klitschko wrote in Bild: "Many ask themselves the question: where does the German government actually stand? On the side of freedom and therefore on the side of Ukraine? Or at the side of the aggressor?"

"Ukraine only wants one thing: to be an independent, democratic and free country!" he said.

Multiple countries including Ukraine and the US have warned that Russia appears poised to invade Ukraine, and some NATO countries have sent defense weapons to help in case of an attack. Ukraine warned that Russia has amassed over 100,000 troops at the border, while Russia denies planning an invasion.

Germany was also criticized by Ukraine after Germany's top navy officer said Russia "deserves respect" over Ukraine.

The officer has since resigned, and Germany said on Monday it would help Ukraine by giving it financial aid, though it did not say how much.