Status: 07/24/2022 4:35 p.m
With a ring exchange procedure, Ukraine should be supported with weapons – but the procedure is faltering – and there is criticism for that. Green politician Göring-Eckardt is now calling for alternatives and is open to direct tank deliveries.
Bundestag Vice President Katrin Goering-Eckardt has called on the federal government to look for new ways to support Ukraine with weapons – and is also open to direct tank deliveries from Germany. The Greens politician was reacting to problems with the so-called ring exchange, in which eastern allies are to be compensated by Germany for the delivery of Soviet-made weapons with western makes.
“The ring exchange is not working as planned,” Göring-Eckardt told the editorial network Germany (RND). “Alternatives should be on the table. For example, delivering weapons directly if we can. It’s the task of the federal government to clarify that in the next few days.” It would also be for direct tank deliveries, “if it’s faster and we or other partners can do it,” said Göring-Eckardt. Germany’s role now consists above all in “organizing sufficient support for Ukraine with weapons – they have to actually arrive”.
Also Baerbock for alternatives
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had previously admitted that the strategy of swapping rings to supply Ukraine with heavy weapons, which had been pursued for months, was not working as planned. “If this path wasn’t right (…), then of course we have to reflect on that and see how we can then become active elsewhere,” said Baerbock in a “Bild” interview.
In wartime situations, you don’t always know what the perfect way is. Baerbock went on to say that the ring exchange was initiated “because it seemed to us to be the best and quickest way at the time”. Now the federal government must deal with the question of why such an exchange “obviously does not happen and whether we then have to provide other support”.
The idea of exchanging rings arose shortly after the beginning of the Ukraine war. The aim was actually to supply Ukraine with heavy weapons as quickly as possible. To this end, Eastern NATO partners should provide weapons of Soviet design that Ukrainian soldiers can handle without additional training. As a replacement, they were to receive western makes from alliance partners such as Germany.
Ring exchange negotiations with several countries
To this end, the federal government conducted negotiations with Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia and Greece, which primarily concerned tank deliveries. In May, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht announced that Germany would provide the Czech Republic with 15 Leopard 2 tanks from industrial stocks to offset the delivery of 20 Soviet-designed T-72 tanks.
Topic overview
war in Ukraine
Poland upset
Instead, there is now trouble with Poland, which is demanding compensation for the delivery of more than 200 T-72 tanks to Ukraine. At the weekend, the Polish government rejected a German offer to provide 20 Leopard 2A4 tanks as insufficient. At least 44 tanks are needed to equip a battalion, Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak told the wPolityce.pl news portal. Deputy Foreign Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sek had previously spoken in the “Spiegel” of a “deceptive manoeuvre” by Germany.
According to the German Defense Ministry, Poland was offered 100 available Leopard 1 tanks in good condition at an early stage of the negotiations. These were rejected as too old. It had become clear that Poland insisted on the Leopard 2. However, these cannot be supplied from Bundeswehr stocks.
A spokesman for the federal government said at the weekend that the statements from Warsaw had been taken note of. “The federal government is still willing to organize a ring exchange with Poland.” In Berlin, however, it was also said that the sharp tone from Warsaw was received with astonishment, since the discussions at the technical level had been constructive.
Baerbock rejects criticism from Warsaw
Foreign Minister Baerbock had rejected Warsaw’s allegations of breach of word and deceptive maneuvers in connection with the Panzer ring exchange in the “Bild”: “In a situation like this, no one deceives their European neighbors.” She added: “It was clear from the start that we couldn’t replace every single tank overnight with a snap of our fingers.” Germany cannot deliver new tanks that the Bundeswehr itself does not have, said the Greens politician. Others, on the other hand, could be delivered immediately.
Goering-Eckardt said: “The statement from Poland may have been undiplomatic, but it is a wake-up call”. “Deliveries of arms help decide how long the war lasts, about human lives.” The Bundestag Vice President warned: “It makes a difference whether weapons are delivered or not.”
Scholz: Not going it alone
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has always pointed out that Germany will not provide new types of weapons on its own. “We always base what we do on the supplies from our allies, especially the United States. And we will continue to do so,” Scholz said at the NATO summit. So far, no NATO ally has delivered Western-style main battle tanks to Ukraine – not even the USA.