Dhe recapture of Russian-held territory last week would not have been possible without military support from the West. Nevertheless, the federal government is struggling with the delivery of Western-style battle tanks and armored personnel carriers demanded by Kyiv. One does not want to go it alone, according to Berlin. Does Germany have to take on a military leadership role that was previously unthinkable?
Anne Will discussed this in her first show following the summer break with Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens). Also part of the panel discussion on Sunday evening were Michael Müller (SPD), Roderich Kiesewetter (CDU), former NATO General Egon Ramms and the journalist Anne Applebaum.
“Even if your heart bleeds, you have to keep a cool head”
“Where is the problem that Germany does not want to deliver the required weapons?” Will asked the foreign minister who was on the call at the beginning of the individual interview. The first emphasized the successes that might be achieved through the previous deliveries. “The problem with battle tanks is that they have to be operated technically in such a way that they can make a difference in action. That’s why it’s so important for us that we can only take this step together with our international partners,” says Baerbock.
Not content with the justification that had already been heard several times from the Federal Chancellor and the Minister of Defense, Will dug deeper. Baerbock emphasized the vulnerability of state-of-the-art material in the absence of know-how. So it can’t be regarding patting yourself on the back for having delivered as much as possible if it doesn’t work in the field. You saw that at the beginning of the war.
“We are in a war. Even if your heart bleeds, you have to keep a cool head,” stressed Baerbock, referring to the exchange of rings with other EU countries, which in exchange for German equipment delivered Soviet material to Ukraine. That’s the right way to go in the current situation.
Will wanted to know specifically. “Now let’s be clear. Are you in favor of Germany also supplying combat vehicles and armored personnel carriers?” But, as expected, Barbock did not allow himself to be pushed to give a clear answer on this question and kept a low profile. “I am in favor of delivering everything that makes a difference and delivery alone does not make a difference. The entire logistics chain behind it has to work.” There are non-stop talks on this issue. “I don’t play this game of pointing fingers,” she said, declining to discuss internal talks with the chancellor and the Ukrainian government on TV.
“The marten is the best example of helping Ukraine to put an end to these killings”
After the tough conversation with Barbock, Will tried her luck in the round and passed the question on to Michael Müller: “What does the chancellor fear if Germany leads the way with the delivery?” There is no fear, the SPD foreign politician made clear and followed the argument of Baerbock. “It’s regarding continuing the deliberative course of the last six months.”
As expected, Roderich Kiesewetter, the only representative of the opposition in the government, saw things very differently. Government policy is difficult to understand. In a special meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Chancellor spoke of a “terrible escalation” when it came to the delivery of the Marder infantry fighting vehicle. “I asked him whether there was a threat once morest Germany or once morest him. He denied that,” says Kiesewetter.
So he mightn’t understand the attitude. The Marder is not a modern infantry fighting vehicle. The only thing that matters is that Ukrainian soldiers can be brought to the front protected. “If the government says that Germany should take the lead, then the marten would be the best example of helping Ukraine to put an end to this murder, the destruction of the Ukrainian language and the kidnapping of children.” He mightn’t fear escalation seriously, said Kiesewetter. “Putin caters to typically German fears.”
“If a German politician says that he is not worried regarding an escalation of the war, I find that worrying”
“When a German politician says he’s not worried regarding the war escalating, I find that questionable,” countered Müller. “I think it’s good that our Chancellor is keeping an eye on this. Thinking regarding the weighing arguments and prudence is part of being a leader.”
“Only when Putin is convinced that the western alliance is stable and continues to supply weapons will he stop waging this war,” American-Polish journalist Anne Applebaum was convinced. “It would therefore be important if Germany took on a leadership role.”
She mightn’t understand why Germany made itself dependent on the decisions of the USA. “US President Biden has said clearly that each country can make sovereign decisions regarding deliveries.” In addition, one should not be intimidated by Putin’s empty threats. “He uses the language of terror to shape our politics.” Instead, listen to the Ukrainians, who know best how to wage this war.
Egon Ramms might only puzzle out why the traffic light government is now drawing a red line when there is already plenty of heavy equipment in use in the Ukraine. “I have the impression that the term main battle tank has acquired a symbolic character,” says Ramms. The ex-general therefore did not accept the argument that Ukrainian soldiers were not trained. The systems that have already been delivered are much more complicated to operate than those that are now being discussed.
Asked regarding Germany’s leadership role, Ramms was clear. “I’ll put it that way. Perceiving a leadership role from the second row is a little difficult. You have to step forward if you want to lead.” His interim conclusion for Germany’s role in the Ukraine war was correspondingly sobering. So far, Putin has perceived Germany’s actions as a weakness and is trying to exploit them and split the Western alliance.
