On the issue of tank supplies to Ukraine, the EU is increasing pressure on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, especially after the start of mobilization in Russia. But Scholz and Federal Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht have made it clear that they want to stick to the previous line and not provide Ukraine with heavy weapons.
Even the German parliamentarians could not vote the day before for the proposal of the opposition CDU/CSU bloc on the immediate supply of tanks and other Western-style armored vehicles to Ukraine.
The document proposed for the vote is called "Defending peace and freedom in Europe - resolutely supporting Ukraine with heavy weapons now". It proposes to grant permission for the export to Ukraine of battle tanks, armored personnel carriers and other heavy weapons from industrial stocks.
During the discussions of this issue in the Bundestag, the politician Strack-Zimmerman called for the supply of German tanks for Ukraine. Her party believes that "in the current military situation, when the Ukrainian army is gradually recapturing its territories, we should hand over at least Fuchs armored personnel carriers and Marder BMPs. And if the situation requires it, then perhaps the Leopard battle tank."
The leader of the "Greens" Omid Nuripour emphasized that decisions on the supply of new weapons systems should be made with partners in the NATO alliance. "Whether it's self-propelled howitzers, infantry fighting vehicles or main battle tanks: at the end of the day, the balance between considerations within the Alliance and Ukraine's needs has to be right."
The deputy chairman of the "Soyuz" faction, Johann Vadeful, said at the plenary session of the Bundestag - "If the federal government is serious about supporting Ukraine, it should now take a decisive step further and supply Ukraine with battle tanks and armored personnel carriers."
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, previously asked the Bundestag deputies to agree on the issue of providing tanks — "Additional heavy weapons should be delivered to Ukraine, including armored fighting vehicles and a larger number of long-range artillery from the Bundeswehr's warehouses."
But the coalition and the members of the left faction prevented the immediate adoption of the decision by the Bundestag with their votes. Instead, the matter was referred to the main foreign affairs committee for consultation. "They are hiding behind procedural issues," criticized fellow chairman of the "Soyuz" parliamentary faction Torsten Fry from the CDU.
German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said that Russia's partial mobilization is an incentive to continue military support to Ukraine. However, Germany will continue to act "very carefully" in the issue of arms deliveries. What Germany supplies is "exactly what Ukraine needs now: air defense and artillery," the minister emphasized.
