The government’s decision leopard– to deliver tanks to Ukraine and to allow third countries to do the same, which could be officially announced as early as Wednesday, has already provoked reactions at home and abroad.
“We will have everything, everything for the return of our territories and the counteroffensive. Tankers will be happy, as will artillerymen and later also pilots,” said Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential office Twitter. “President Zelensky’s entire team is working on this issue together with our partners. We thank our allies. We will win.”
The former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, who since the beginning of the war had often sharply criticized what he saw as the government’s position being overly cautious, expressed his delight at the announced plans leopard-Deliveries expressed this on Twitter by posting a photo of himself with a German wheat beer and captioning it, “Today I’m going to get drunk!”
The acting Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin, Oleksiy Makejev, said in the ARD “Tagesthemen” on Tuesday evening that he “believes the tank coalition is being formed just these days”. When asked what he had to say to the significant proportion of the German population who were skeptical about such tank deliveries, Makeyev said he was already “trying to get into conversation with German citizens to explain why it is so necessary”.
Bundeswehr: Tank deliveries weaken their own operational readiness
The Bundeswehr, on the other hand, is concerned about the planned delivery: The delivery is “good for Ukraine on the one hand, bad for the Bundeswehr’s operational readiness on the other,” said the chairman of the Bundeswehr Association, André Wüstner, in the ZDF “Morgenmagazin”. One should not believe that the Ukraine war will be over in two or three months – and that the tanks already delivered and promised by Germany will not remain. “The truth is: since February we have continued to hand over weapons and ammunition. We are still in free fall, we still have no turn in terms of our own defense capability.”
“Tough but inevitable,” says FDP politician Strack-Zimmermann
In Berlin, CDU leader Friedrich Merz quickly spoke up, who attested to Olaf Scholz making a “right decision”, but also true to his role as leader of the opposition criticized. “But if the Federal Chancellor had announced this decision with the French President on Sunday in Paris, that would have been political leadership. That leaves the image of a driven person who hesitated for too long,” said Merz.
The FDP politician and Chair of the Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, who had sharply criticized the Federal Chancellor in the past few days, was pleased about the green light for the leopard-Deliveries. “The decision to release and deliver the leopard 2 was tough but inevitable. It is news of salvation for the battered and brave Ukraine,” said Strack-Zimmermann. “We Free Democrats are grateful that continuous efforts for the people of Ukraine are successful.”
Green boss Nouripour relieved about the decision
“Germany is leading the way. And other states are going along with it,” said Green Party leader Omid Nouripour on Wednesday in the ZDF “Morgenmagazin”. This will solve a big problem. Nouripour justified the German government’s hesitation on the battle tank issue with the urgent need to coordinate with the partner countries, which has happened. Also that the Americans by supplying their own battle tanks of the type abrams came on board is a success. Asked whether there was concern about a possible Russian counterattack, Nouripour replied: “There is always a need to ensure that one does not contribute to the escalation.” But it shouldn’t be that Russia always formulates the conditions for this. The Kremlin lives from the fact that people in their own country and abroad are afraid. “And if we let this fear paralyze us, then we won’t make any progress.”
The international press sees a “breakthrough”
The international press also took notice. For example, the British published DailyTelegraph its front page from Wednesday in advance on the Internet. As a “heavy blow to Putin” will be the decision of Ukraine leopard– Tanks to be delivered as indicated.
Also the Financial Times is the headline on the topic that it is a question of strengthening support for Ukraine by allies. the Guardians writes: “In a historic step, Berlin agrees to sending tanks to Ukraine”.
“Ukraine, the breakthrough is coming”, is it[called from the Italian newspaper La Republicaduring Le Figaro in Paris over a “spectacular U-turn” writesin which Germany “decided Leopard-2-to deliver tanks directly to Ukraine”. At the Polish Gazeta Wyborcza one finally reads: “After months of back and forth, Chancellor Olaf Scholz gave way to NATO.”