Small party congress: Greens vote for arms deliveries

Foreign Minister Baerbock appealed – and the party followed suit: at the small party congress, the Greens voted to deliver heavy weapons to Ukraine. Party leader Nouripour said they would remain a peace party.

At their small party congress, the Greens voted to deliver heavy weapons to Ukraine. “As the governing party, we assume responsibility and stand in consistent solidarity with Ukraine,” says a motion passed in Düsseldorf.

“We warn the Kremlin against the use of any weapons of mass destruction and oppose the aggression of the Russian regime with all determination.” This should be done by taking in vulnerable people, diplomacy, quick and consistent sanctions, “support with effective, heavy and complex weapons” and accepting an active, responsible role within the EU states, NATO and the world community.

No to NATO’s two percent target

The majority of the 99 delegates also approved the 100 billion euro special fund for the Bundeswehr – but not NATO’s two percent target. It stipulates that the member states should spend two percent of their gross domestic product on armaments every year. “Fixed quotas apart from the needs of the Bundeswehr, with a lack of efficient procurement structures and too little European cooperation do not mean more security,” the corresponding application said.

Another motion to reform the procurement system of the Bundeswehr before approving the special fund fell through. Timon Dzienus, co-head of the Green Youth and co-initiator of the application, said: “The motto ‘a lot helps a lot’ is currently not helping us in the Bundeswehr.”

The party followed Baerbock’s call

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had previously called on her party to support the path taken by the federal government to support Ukraine and equip the Bundeswehr. “In these moments, when the unimaginable has become bitter reality, we bear responsibility and have to make decisions that we could not have imagined before,” she said in a video contribution for the small party conference.

It’s “about our peace project Europe,” said Baerbock. She is grateful that the Greens are willing to take responsibility and don’t duck away. It is a strength and not a weakness to think about things in new and different ways.

“Therefore, we say clearly and unequivocally, not only that we stand by the side of the Ukrainians, but that we think it’s right that we are now also jointly supplying heavy weapons for the Ukrainians’ self-defense.” “We’re quarreling as to whether we’re doing enough. Because even with these arms deliveries, we don’t know when this war will be over,” said Baerbock.

No to the no-fly zone

Baerbock again spoke out against the establishment of a no-fly zone over Ukraine. “We have to keep a cool head,” no matter how heartbreaking it is to look at the pictures. “We bear responsibility for ensuring that this war does not become a war across Europe for millions more people.” There are fears that enforcing a no-fly zone would require NATO to shoot down Russian planes and be drawn into the war.

Nouripour: Greens remain peace party

Green Party leader Omid Nouripour had also defended military support for Ukraine against the Russian attack and at the same time declared his commitment to peace. “We will always remain a peace party,” promised Nouripour. Baerbock in particular did everything to prevent a war, but the Kremlin had no interest in it.

Nouripour went on to say that as the ruling party, the Greens are facing reality. That does not mean saying goodbye to efforts to find peaceful solutions to conflicts. The deployment of the military should only be “a very, very last resort”.

The situation in Ukraine is now forcing the Greens to do things they wouldn’t have done a few weeks ago, including supplying heavy weapons. “It is our job as Greens not to give up the historically grown legitimate culture of military restraint. That is and will remain true,” said Nouripour.

He warned of a global catastrophe if Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “perfidious plan” to blockade Ukrainian ports succeeds. Then important grain exports from Ukraine would be prevented and hunger would increase in the world. “It cannot be beaten for unscrupulousness.” It is not only about helping the people in Ukraine, but also about preventing this.