Status: 04/19/2022 10:22 a.m
On the question of the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine, the Union faction is considering putting pressure on the government with a motion in the Bundestag. The accusation: Scholz is “partly responsible for the defenselessness of Ukraine”.
The Union has increased pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to supply heavy weapons to Ukraine. The CDU/CSU parliamentary group threatened to take action in the Bundestag if necessary. “We want to support the federal government in this crisis,” wrote Union parliamentary group leader Johann Wadephul on Twitter. If Scholz does not move on the question of arms deliveries, he must expect an application from the CDU and CSU in the Bundestag next week, according to the CDU politician.
Kiesewetter: “Olaf Scholz must now show his colors”
Politicians from the Union, but also from the Greens and FDP repeatedly accused Scholz of hesitating in the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine. CDU foreign politician Roderich Kiesewetter said in the joint morning magazine ARD and ZDF that he thinks very highly of the fact that the federal government is supporting Ukraine with money. “But you can’t buy your freedom,” he said. “It’s really about supplying infantry fighting vehicles, artillery systems.” There are several options here.
Wadepuhl, in turn, accused the federal government of deceiving the public by promising further financial military aid in an interview with “Welt”. “Ukraine has not lacked money – if only because of the EU funds. The increase in funds is therefore only a bad diversionary tactic,” he said.
The core question is whether Germany would allow the export of heavy weapons. “Olaf Scholz now has to show his colors and ‘deliver’ in the truest sense of the word,” said Wadephul. Scholz is “partly responsible for the defenselessness of Ukraine”.
Klitschko: “Need heavy weapons from Germany”
Germany has so far supplied, among other things, Panzerfaust, anti-aircraft missiles and machine guns, as well as vehicles, night vision devices and protective equipment. However, Ukraine is also demanding heavy weapons such as battle tanks, artillery pieces and combat helicopters.
The Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko again demanded the delivery of heavy weapons from Germany. “We need the heavy weapons from Germany immediately,” he told the “Bild” newspaper. “Every delay costs lives. That should be clear to everyone. I cannot understand this debate.” In an interview with broadcasters RTL and ntv, he said: “I’m not a weapons expert, but we need tanks and planes.”
Greens and FDP for delivery of heavy weapons
While politicians from the Greens and FDP in particular advocate the delivery of heavy weapons in the traffic light coalition, Chancellor Scholz’s SPD is skeptical. As justification, the federal government refers, among other things, to the necessary agreements with partner countries and to the fact that Ukrainian soldiers are not trained for the devices.
In view of the large-scale Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine, the designated FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai called for a speedy decision on the delivery of heavy weapons. “Time is of the essence,” said Djir-Sarai im Deutschlandfunk. He assumes that the war will become even more cruel in the coming days. “Accordingly, Ukraine not only needs our full support and solidarity, but also concrete help, and from my point of view, arms deliveries, or rather heavy weapons, are a necessary way here.”
The decision on the delivery of heavy weapons must be made in a timely manner. “I also assume that this decision will come about in the next few days,” said the FDP politician. The fact is that something has to be done.
“No entry into the war, this is help for self-help”
The chairwoman of the defense committee, the FDP politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, then asked Chancellor Scholz to take a clear position on how he wants to support Ukraine. “More money is not yet the solution, but it is a very important step because it is a prerequisite for Kyiv to buy heavy weapons,” she told the “Stuttgarter Zeitung” and the “Stuttgarter Nachrichten” with regard to the planned increase in military aid for Kyiv.
Now Scholz must “make the necessary arrangements with Ukraine as quickly as possible,” said Strack-Zimmermann. “It would be nice if he would then break his silence and explain what he actually wants.” She criticized “that communication with Ukraine, with our allies, but also with our own country is manageable”.
The Federal Republic has already delivered military material to Ukraine on a large scale, but does not talk about it in detail. “In this way, the Chancellery leaves the interpretation to others and thus creates an image of a hesitant country,” said Strack-Zimmermann. The delivery of heavy weapons is “not entry into the war, it is simply necessary help for self-help,” she wrote on Twitter.
Esken: Weapons deliveries have to go through industry
SPD co-chair Saskia Esken rejected the accusation that the federal government was not allowing the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine. The federal government has approved the delivery of Czech tanks to Ukraine, Esken said on ZDF. This approval was necessary because the T-72 tanks came from NVA stocks. At the same time, a replacement was promised to the Czech Republic. “The Bundeswehr does not have any freely available weapons,” said Esken.
Therefore, deliveries to the Ukraine should now be made possible via the industry “and others”. Chancellor Scholz will hold further talks on this. Esken confirmed that Germany would continue to deliver military material to Ukraine.