Status: 01/25/2023 01:33 am
The Greens and FDP in the Bundestag welcome the planned German tank deliveries to Ukraine as inevitable and overdue. Left parliamentary group leader Bartsch warned that another taboo would fall.
The Greens in the Bundestag welcome the German government’s decision to sell Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine. “The leopard is free!” Tweeted Bundestag Vice President Katrin Göring-Eckardt in English. “Now hopefully he can quickly help Ukraine in its fight against the Russian attack and for the freedom of Ukraine and Europe.”
The chairman of the Europe Committee in the Bundestag, Anton Hofreiter, told the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” (RND): “Of course it would have been better to make the decision faster, especially for Germany’s reputation in Europe. But better late than not at all.”
SPD foreign politician Roth welcomes the delivery of main battle tanks
The SPD foreign politician Michael Roth also welcomed the decision of the federal government. It is time to make it clear to the international partners: “We have achieved a lot and are ready to take this step,” said Roth in the evening on the ZDF program “Markus Lanz”. When asked how long he knew about the decision, Roth said he didn’t know when the decision would come, but felt and hoped it would come.
The SPD discussed this in a presidium meeting on Monday. The party was just as divided on the question of tank deliveries as society. “There are people who are rather impatient and drive, like me. And there are others who are a bit more cautious and reserved,” said Roth. He was annoyed by the public debate at the weekend within the traffic light coalition.
Strack-Zimmermann: “Redeeming Message”
The chair of the defense committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, also welcomed the decision. “The decision was tough, it took far too long, but in the end it is inevitable. The fact that Germany is allowing partner countries to deliver its ‘Leopard 2’ tank and is also delivering it itself is relieving news for the battered and brave Ukrainian people,” said the FDP politician to the dpa news agency.
The decision marks an important step in rolling back Russia’s brutal attack on an innocent country. The Free Democrats are grateful that the ongoing commitment to the people of Ukraine is successful.
FDP faction leader Christian Dürr also praised the decision. “The Chancellor made a decision today that no one took lightly,” he told the “t-online” portal.
After weeks of discussion, the way is clear for deliveries of main battle tanks to Ukraine
Frank Jahn, ARD Berlin, daily topics 10:20 p.m., January 24, 2023
Bartsch: “Potentially takes us closer to World War III”
The left parliamentary group leader Dietmar Bartsch criticized the decision of the federal government as dangerous. “The delivery of ‘Leopard’ battle tanks, which lifts another taboo, potentially takes us closer to World War III than towards peace in Europe,” Bartsch told dpa. “The decision to continue making Germany a war party does not have a majority in the population.”
“Leopard” tanks are the prelude “to a possible slide towards catastrophe”. Calls for battle tanks would be followed by calls for warplanes and more.