"Markus Lanz": cluster bombs for Ukraine? Pistorius makes a clear statement

Berlin
Ukraine demands controversial ammunition. Will Germany deliver? The Minister of Defense expresses himself in “Lanz” in no uncertain terms.

“What if” seems to be Markus Lanz’s favorite game that evening, the moderator asks the new Minister of Defense so many hypothetical questions Boris Pistorius.

But Pistorius does not allow himself to be cornered or to make any thoughtless statements. Instead, the politician lets Lanz run up with a “nice try”. Personally, he just doesn’t think much of hypothetically escalating war events in a debate.

In addition, the minister believes that it really shouldn’t be about what will happen on the battlefield in three months’ time. “Now it has to be about them Ukraine support with everything that is necessary, possible and justifiable to make it clear: Russia, Putin must not get away with this war.”

“Markus Lanz” – These were the guests:

Boris Pistorius, Defense Minister

“Markus Lanz”: Pistorius comments on statements by Sahra Wagenknecht

Generally stays Pistorius, who according to polls is currently the most popular politician in Germany, clear and factual. He only gets a little angry about one thing: yesterday’s appearance by Sahra Wagenknecht at Markus Lanz. The left-wing politician defended her “Manifesto for Peace” on the show. Of course he would also like to do something other than supply weapons to a war, emphasizes Pistorius.

But what would be the alternative? Leave Ukraine to itself? “And Putin gets the signal that the West cannot be relied on.” For the Minister of Defense it seems clear that this “solution” would not create long-term peace either, but other countries such as Moldova or Poland would put on Putin’s agenda.

And anyway: What kind of sign would that be for other autocrats in the world? Just because we’re uncomfortable with the idea of supplying arms doesn’t mean abandoning a country that’s under attack. “Then it hits the next ones and then we are all stuck together”. This is one of the reasons why Pistorius sees the surprising visit from the US President Joe Biden a “great, important gesture” in Kiev. It was the first time a sitting US President had traveled to a country at war where US troops are not stationed.

Boris Pistorius: A clear “no” to the demand for phosphorus and cluster bombs

When it comes to weapons, however, the Minister of Defense draws a very clear line. It is about Ukraine’s latest demand for phosphorus and cluster bombs, which the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olexander Kubrakov at the Munich Security Conference. “We don’t use such weapons,” emphasizes Pistorius.

“We no longer produce them,” explains Pistorius clearly. “We no longer stock them, and we have promised, contractually signed, that we will no longer use them.” In 2010, Germany signed the Oslo Agreement with more than 100 other countries use of cluster bombs prohibits. Neither Russia nor Ukraine are among the signatories.

Pistorius shows a clear edge when delivering fighter jets. However, Germany could lean back a bit on this topic. “Because it’s about jets that we don’t even have.” The German aircraft simply do not fit the Ukrainian system. However, if other nations with the appropriate fighter jets decide to support Ukraine, Pistorius explains, “then we have to support it.”

Boris Pistorius on “Markus Lanz”: Abolition of conscription was a clear “mistake”.

towards the end of the show Markus Lanz the spotlight is still on security in Germany. Could we defend ourselves if we had to? Instead of making big speeches about the Bundeswehr, Pistorius explains with disarming honesty that he is “just getting an overview”.

For him, the abolition of conscription been a clear “mistake”. However, reintroducing them “with a snap of the fingers” would be “naïve” and financially unaffordable for the federal government. “We no longer have the barracks, we no longer have the training facilities. We would have to invest an incredible amount of time and money in rebuilding.” In view of the changing world, however, it is worth discussing whether it makes sense to reintroduce it and under what conditions.