The FDP defense politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann has accused the chancellor’s office of adopting Russian statements when justifying the blockade of combat and infantry fighting vehicle deliveries to Ukraine. “Obviously the Russian narrative works and is preventing some in the Chancellery from giving Ukraine the urgently needed tanks,” said the chair of the Defense Committee to the editorial network Germany.
“Anyone who fantasizes about the concern that a red line would be crossed with Russia is telling the story of the aggressor, not that of the victims.”
Strack-Zimmermann also accused the chancellor’s office of repeatedly acting too late in the past few months with regard to arms deliveries to Ukraine. The advisors to Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) are “always behind the wave, don’t think strategically at all”.
Now in winter “Ukrainian soldiers should be trained on the Marder and Leopard 2,” said the FDP politician. Despite requests from Kyiv, the German government has so far refused to hand over modern Leopard and Marder tanks to Ukraine.
Material should be delivered preventively
Preparations would have to be made immediately in order to “finally get in front of the wave and deliver the material that would have a great impact in just a few weeks”. All threads “run together with the chancellor,” said Strack-Zimmermann: “The free Western world is waiting impatiently for Germany to act.” So far, however, there has been no strategy in Ukraine policy, “that’s the problem”.
Germany must “design a scenario with its partners as to how the support should continue in the coming months,” said Strack-Zimmermann to the RND. For example, preventive material must be delivered “where bottlenecks are already emerging”. A close exchange with the Ukrainian army and the NATO partners is necessary. (AFP)
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