If Scholz continues to hesitate
Union considers request for delivery of heavy weapons
04/19/2022, 12:39 am
Chancellor Scholz has so far not complied with Ukraine’s request to receive heavy military equipment such as tanks from Germany for the war against Russia. But in addition to the Greens and FDP, the CDU also expressly demands the deliveries – and issues an ultimatum.
On the question of the possible delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine, the Union faction is considering putting Chancellor Olaf Scholz under pressure with a motion in the Bundestag. “We want to support the federal government in this crisis,” wrote the vice-chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, Johann Wadephul, on Twitter. But if the chancellor “doesn’t budge on the issue of arms deliveries,” he must expect a Union proposal next week.
Wadephul asked what else had to be done for Scholz to “finally give the green light for the delivery of heavy weapons (…)”, which should best be combined with the training of Ukrainian military on these weapons, following the example of Great Britain and the USA . “When will he realize that leadership is not a wordless refusal?” wrote the CDU politician, referring to the chancellor. “How many more innocent people should die?”
So far, Germany has not delivered heavy weapons such as tanks to Ukraine, thereby refusing the insistent demands of Ukrainian representatives. 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.
FDP and Greens put pressure on
However, there are also voices within the traffic light coalition calling for the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine. The FDP politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, who chairs the Bundestag’s Defense Committee, demands that Germany must supply these weapons “immediately”.
The Green politician Anton Hofreiter, chairman of the Europe Committee, told the “Rheinische Post” that the increase in financial military aid for Ukraine recently announced by the federal government “cannot replace the rapid delivery of heavy weapons”.
In the traffic light coalition, however, it is primarily politicians from the Greens and FDP who are calling for the delivery of heavy weapons. The SPD is rather skeptical about such deliveries.