Why Germany does not give tanks to Ukraine and why Chancellor Scholz is hesitating — y published by SPIEGEL a material on the domestic political situation in Germany and the attitude to arms supplies was published.
SPIEGEL notes that given the dynamics of Kyiv in the war against Russia, the issue of the supply of tanks from Germany is once again relevant. Because until now, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the federal government, when denying Ukraine the supply of tanks, always referred to what Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht is now repeating: no Western tanks, as agreed with the allies.
The reference to allies allowed Germany to hide behind others, primarily the USA, but the pressure on Scholz is noticeably increasing today to force him to leave his comfort zone and make concessions on the issue of supplying tanks to Ukraine.
The Americans today are fueling the debate over the supply of German weapons. US representatives are reluctant to make public demands on Berlin. Nevertheless, according to information from SPIEGEL, American diplomats have repeatedly signaled to the federal government that Washington is quite sympathetic to the idea of Germany becoming the first country to announce the supply of tanks and thereby attract other EU partners.
The US itself has not decided on the tank issue, according to American diplomats, a change in policy in the government of President Joe Biden is still being discussed. However, it is clear "that Germany has the freedom to make its own decisions about tank deliveries," as one American diplomat put it.
The arguments used by the German government to justify its cautious attitude to military aid to Ukraine are now beginning to fade. Pressure is also coming from NATO. Berlin has repeatedly stressed that one of the reasons it cannot transfer any further weapons to Ukraine is that Germany would then no longer be able to contribute to NATO's defense readiness.
However, the leadership of NATO perceives everything much more calmly. On Friday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called on all partners to "increase supplies to provide Ukraine with the supplies it urgently needs."
Now, Stoltenberg noted, the freedom of Europe is being defended in Ukraine. Therefore, further arms deliveries at this stage are more important than full army depots in individual NATO countries.
In turn, member of the German parliament Robin Wagner emphasizes that now the Bundeswehr can do without such tanks as Fuchs, Marder or Leopard. "Our freedom is defended not at the training grounds in the Federal Republic, but at the front in Ukraine."
However, German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock avoids making public tough demands on the supply of weapons. During Saturday's visit to Kyiv, Berbok promised the Ukrainians further support, but she remained uncertain about the issue of supplying tanks.
In addition to delivering German tanks to Ukraine, writes SPIEGEL, the government will not have to take them from the Bundeswehr warehouses. Because only in the last few months, the country's defense industry has already produced 20 Marder armored personnel carriers, and if desired, the tanks can be delivered to Ukraine quite quickly. In total, Germany can produce up to 100 units of such equipment by the end of 2022.
"In the case of battle tanks, we may have ordered 600 new Leopard 2s altogether," Thomas Erndl, a defense expert and member of the Bundestag, told SPIEGEL. "Of them, 250 are to replace those that should be quickly delivered to Ukraine from German and European warehouses, and 350 as a contribution to the re-equipment of the Ukrainian army."
But whether anything ultimately moves on the issue depends on the federal chancellor – and his own party. Social Democrats have repeatedly warned of the danger that Putin may continue to escalate the war if he feels increasingly cornered.
