Debate about main battle tanks: The “Leopard” demands are getting louder

The pressure on the chancellor to supply battle tanks to Ukraine is growing. Push politicians from the coalition partners, but also from the opposition. SPD General Secretary Klingbeil rejects a delivery – initially.

After the promise to Ukraine to deliver “Marder” armored personnel carriers, the pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to also send battle tanks like the “Leopard” does not ease. The No is still there, but the front of supporters is broad – the demands from Europe are getting louder.

At the CSU retreat in Seeon, the President of the EU Parliament, Roberta Metsola, spoke out in favor of battle tanks for Ukraine. Russia wants Europe to look the other way when it comes to Ukraine. This should not be allowed. It is important that Europe continues to support the Ukrainians politically, humanitarian and also militarily. But it is also important for Europe to strengthen its own defense forces and become “a real defense union,” she said. CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt sharply attacked Chancellor Olaf Scholz during the exam and accused him of leadership weakness.

The former Bundeswehr officer and current CDU foreign politician Roderich Kiesewetter said on Deutschlandfunk that the “Marder” deliveries could make it clear that if Russia does not give in to negotiations, “the next step would be the training of battle tank crews and then the delivery as well”. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia was ready to negotiate – but only if Ukraine accepted Russia’s previous conquests.

“The Ukrainians are running out of time”

Marcus Faber, defense expert for the FDP, had previously pointed out in the “Rheinische Post” that 180 copies of the older “Leopard 1” were waiting for an export permit from Berlin in order to be able to be delivered to the Ukraine. “It’s time to go from procrastinator to creator,” he said. “The Ukrainians are running out of time.” His party colleague Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chairwoman of the Defense Committee, told the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung”: “The European partners are waiting for Germany to be ready to move some Leopard battle tanks.”

The necessary training for Ukrainian soldiers should have started in the fall, she criticized. The Green MP Anton Hofreiter had also repeatedly demanded the delivery of “Leopards”.

The Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, recently expressed his confidence that western-style main battle tanks could also be delivered to Ukraine in addition to armored personnel carriers. “I am an optimist. After almost a year since the beginning of this great Russian invasion, many people in Germany have finally understood that this war is about the existence of Ukraine and about peace throughout Europe,” Makeiev told the “Wirtschaftswoche” on the Asked how big he thinks the chances are that Germany will now also supply “Leopard” type battle tanks.

Klingbeil: No “leopards” – yet

SPD General Secretary Lars Klingbeil rejects the idea that “leopards” could be delivered to Ukraine immediately after the “martens”. One must now first coordinate in the international alliance, said the broadcaster n-tv. “No country is delivering battle tanks that are as heavy as the ‘Leopard’ 1 or 2,” said Klingbeil. Russian President Vladimir Putin is proceeding extremely brutally in Ukraine and has long described western countries like Germany as a war party. “In this respect it is correct that the Americans, the French, but also we as the German government, are constantly considering whether we can now be included in this war,” explained Klingbeil. According to n-tv, however, Klingbeil did not want to rule out a later delivery of “Leopard” tanks.