Commentary: Fighter planes for Ukraine: red lines do not help

The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has been raging for almost a year now. It brought incredible suffering to the people and unfortunately there is no end in sight to the fighting. How?

Russian President Vladimir Putin has long been a prisoner of his own dangerous logic of war, which does not allow for defeats. He is surrounded by yes-men and claqueurs who neither want nor can stop him.

In this almost hopeless defensive struggle against the superior power of Russia, Ukraine is bracing itself with everything it has. Above all, these are highly motivated soldiers who know what they are fighting for. Ammunition, weapons, missile defense systems, armored vehicles and ever heavier equipment are increasingly coming from the West.

War in Ukraine: The new demands came as a reflex

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stationed his troops in a merciless trench warfare around the Bakhmut region, among other things, and expects much worse from the expected Russian spring offensive. For that he needs everything he can get. The demands for more tanks, rockets and howitzers, even for fighter planes, are understandable and not surprising.

The reaction in Germany is, however, too. The tedious and tough tug-of-war over the delivery of battle tanks has only just ended, and the next delicate demand comes almost reflexively. The Leopard 2 tanks have not even been delivered yet. Isn’t it slow enough?

Scholz wants to keep Germany out of the war

Anyone who asks such questions misjudges the situation and Putin’s goals: the Kremlin boss repeatedly compares his war of aggression against the neighboring country with the Patriotic War in 1812 against Napoleon and with the First and Second World Wars. He’s not interested in Crimea or Donbass.

Ukraine war – background and explanations for the conflict

The Chancellor knows that too – all too well. Olaf Scholz is persistently trying to help Ukraine in lockstep with its allies and, more importantly, to keep Germany out of the war. He keeps drawing red lines for that. And he will have been happy to hear US President Biden say “no” to the question of whether the USA would deliver fighter jets. However, these stop lines are not helpful. Too often they have failed. Because what can still happen in this war and what must then be decided and done, nobody knows today.

Our reporters on site in Ukraine:

Prudence is the need of the hour

It is important to remain united and level-headed – on what is feasible, but also on the composition of Ukraine’s wish list, which is growing by the day. That’s why the Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin, Oleksii Makeiev, is keeping his voice down and making Ukraine’s priorities clear: armored vehicles, main battle tanks, air defense systems and artillery units, as well as supplies of ammunition and weapons. That’s going to be difficult enough.

The US will not be able to deliver Abrams tanks before autumn 2023. Germany also needs time to get the promised Leopard tanks to Ukraine and to train the soldiers. The arsenal of Western weapons is growing – and with it the problems at the front. Some of the self-propelled howitzers supplied by Germany are already being used as spare parts stores. The effort to keep the complex weapon systems in good condition is increasing. What good are all those high-tech weapons if they can’t be kept operational?

The longer the fighting goes on, the more uncomfortable the questions in all directions become. One in particular that remains strangely untouched: How can this war be ended?

Ukraine Crisis – The most important news about the war

More articles from this category can be found here: Politics