STORY: Presentation of the Marder infantry fighting vehicle in Marienburg, Saxony. Two companies of Panzer Grenadier Battalion 371 are stationed there. The companies are part of the NATO Rapid Reaction Force. With their Marder tanks, they replace the planned “Puma” tanks, which cannot be used due to technical defects. 400 soldiers and support forces are ready for this. Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht was there on Thursday. According to the Ministry of Defence, she mainly wanted to hold talks with soldiers there. Lambrecht said she was impressed by the skills and motivation of the soldiers. NATO can rely on Germany. Just like the Ukraine, which is supposed to get up to 40 Marder armored personnel carriers from Germany: “Where they don’t come from, these 40 Marders, that’s from the active troops. That won’t be the case. To be able to guarantee that, I’m in the Discussions with the industry but also with allies in order to then, as I said, keep these restrictions as low as possible.” Lambrecht did not rule out a supply of German Leopard-type main battle tanks. However: “There has been no decision in the federal government to give up battle tanks. This decision has not been made. And that’s why this question does not arise. As soon as decisions are made, we always approached implementation very quickly. That’s how it was with Artillery, in air defense, now in armored personnel carriers. That’s why: The decision on main battle tanks has not been made in the federal government.” It is the right approach “to rule out nothing,” said Lambrecht, but Germany would not go it alone.