Berlin.
Scholz’s reluctance to export Leopard main battle tanks isolates the chancellor. Who is putting particular pressure on now and what the prospects are.
When it comes to tanks, the pressure on the federal government almost daily. More and more countries are demanding that Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) at least grant permission to re-export Leopard tanks to Ukraine. Poland has advanced the furthest. But the demands are also getting louder within the EU. How isolated is Scholz? An overview of countries and politicians who are putting the pressure on.
Poland: If necessary, one wants to act without the consent of Berlin
Warsaw is in the tank question the pacemaker. Now Poland is putting additional pressure on the traffic light coalition. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced on Monday that his country will apply to the federal government for approval to supply Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine. If necessary, Poland will act within the framework of a small coalition even without Berlin’s consent.
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Annalena Baerbock: The Foreign Minister’s solo number?
At least that Foreign Office would appear ready to give Warsaw the green light. According to Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Germany would not oppose the delivery of Leopard main battle tanks from other countries to Ukraine. “We have not been asked so far, and (…) if we were asked, we would not stand in the way,” said the Green politician on the French TV station LCI.
The Federal Chancellery did not support Baerbock’s initiative. “If an application were made in Germany, there are well-established procedures – we stick to them,” said government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit on Monday. This is happening in the Federal Security Council with the “necessary speed” and the “necessary thoroughness“. The Federal Security Council is a cabinet committee of the federal government. According to information from government circles, no application from Warsaw had been received by late Monday afternoon.
The Baltic States: Printing from Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia
In the Baltic States, Germany is seen as brakeman. Latvian President Egils Levits called on the federal government to agree to the delivery of Leopard 2 main battle tanks. This is an “almost unanimous attitude in Europe”.
Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu emphasized: “Germany is Europe’s motor, the biggest partner countryand that means a special responsibility.” Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis indirectly accused Scholz of being afraid of bringing Russia to the brink of defeat in Ukraine.
USA: Angry about the course of the federal government
The US government is reportedly upset that Berlin has no export permit for Leopard tanks. According to a report in the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, there was a war of words between US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chancellor Wolfgang Schmidt on Thursday. Austin was angry that Scholz had linked the Leopard delivery to the dispatch of American Abrams main battle tanks in a previous phone call with US President Joe Biden. The federal government denied the report “in tone and content”.
Washington is currently refusing to send Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine. US Secretary of Defense Colin Kahl stressed that the Abrams is expensive, requires difficult training and consumes his turbine drive a lot of fuel.
United Kingdom: Great Britain already supplies main battle tanks
London is the first western government to deliver main battle tank to the Ukraine – 14 Challenger 2. On the island, too, it is expected that Germany will follow suit with “Leos”.
EU: High Representative backs Leopard shipments
The pressure is also growing in the European Union. The EU Foreign Representative Josep Borrell stated that he endorsed the “Leo” delivery. Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn emphasized that Chancellor Scholz had “a great responsibility to really take a step”.
France: Reluctance also from the neighbors
French President Emmanuel Macron has the posting of “light battle tanks” of the type AMX-RC 10 to Ukraine announced. But when it comes to sending heavy Leclerc battle tanks, he argues as cautiously as Chancellor Scholz.
Tensions in the traffic light: Union calls for a break in the coalition
There has been massive hailing from Liberal and Green circles in the past few days criticism. The FDP politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chairwoman of the defense committee in the Bundestag, and Green foreign politician Anton Hofreiter accused Scholz of hesitation in the tank issue.
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Union politicians called on the FDP and the Greens to break the coalition. The two smaller ones traffic light partner Because of the differences with the SPD in Ukraine policy, we would have to “finally act consistently and look for a new beginning under different circumstances,” said CDU/CSU Parliamentary Secretary Thorsten Frei (CDU) of the “Bild” on Monday.
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil tried to pull the ripcord. “I know what I would do as party leader if my party kept making such cross shots come,” said Klingbeil. “I would talk to the right people about that. That doesn’t reflect well on your own party leadership when there are always people on the go.”
Conclusion:
The indications that the federal government at least allows the re-export of Leopard tanks to the Ukraine will approve, multiply. “I am sure that important decisions will be made very soon,” said the Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin, Oleksii Makeiev. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) had already signaled that Germany would “not stand in the way” if other countries wanted to start training on the tanks.
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