Sharp criticism for hesitation in Leopard 2 delivery: “Unfortunately, Germany just failed”

In the debate about the delivery of main battle tanks to Ukraine, the chair of the Defense Committee, Strack-Zimmermann, criticized the fact that no decision had yet been made. The Union fears serious foreign policy damage.

Politicians from the traffic light coalition and the opposition have expressed their disappointment at the further postponed decision on the delivery of German battle tanks to Ukraine. The chairwoman of the defense committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FPD), says in the ZDF “heute journal”:

By that she meant the desire of countries like Poland to supply their own German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. However, they need a permit from Berlin for this. “History is looking at us, and unfortunately Germany just failed,” complained Strack-Zimmermann.

The communication from Chancellor Olaf Scholz in particular on this issue was a “disaster” because, on the one hand, Germany was giving Ukraine massive support. However, the lack of a decision on the battle tanks gives a different impression. Scholz remains guilty of explanations.

Pistorius “on the chain”

From their point of view, the new Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is “on the chain,” said Strack-Zimmermann. However, she is certain that the Leopard 2 tanks will eventually be delivered to Ukraine. Despite considerable pressure from Ukraine and the states supporting it, the federal government has not yet made a decision about the delivery to Kyiv.

On Friday, the allies met for a Ukraine conference in Ramstein, at which further billions in aid for the country attacked by Russia were agreed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his evening video message distributed in Kyiv that he had heard a lot of understanding for his country’s needs during the talks in Ramstein.

Kiesewetter: The result is insulation

The Union now fears serious foreign policy damage. “Germany has done Ukraine and itself a disservice for the future position,” said the CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter of the “Augsburger Allgemeine”.

It also leaves him speechless that it was only the new Minister of Defense who commissioned an inventory of the available Leopard 1 and 2 in Bundeswehr and industrial stocks. “It is embarrassing and frightening that Germany apparently only remembered this almost a year after the beginning of the war.”

Wagener: Inventory is late – but correct

The chairman of the German-Ukrainian parliamentary group, Robin Wagener (Greens), sees the measure announced by Pistorius differently: “The fact that the new defense minister is finally taking stock to check what we can continue to deliver is a late but correct step,” he shared.

The German Greens in the European Parliament were much more critical: “Chancellor Scholz annoyed our European partners with his negative attitude towards European initiatives to supply Leopard tanks,” said the spokesman for the German group, Rasmus Andresen, the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland”.

SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich stressed that it was important to act in unison with the United States on this issue. “It is important that we always take important steps together,” said Mützenich of the “Stuttgarter Zeitung” and the “Stuttgarter Nachrichten”.

Recently there had been reports that Scholz had made the delivery of the US Abrams main battle tank a condition for the possible dispatch of German main battle tanks. However, according to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Pistorius had made it clear that there was no such connection.