Chancellor Olaf Scholz is coming under renewed pressure from political allies in Germany to supply additional heavy weapons to help Ukraine fight off Russia’s military invasion.
(Bloomberg) — Chancellor Olaf Scholz is coming under renewed pressure from political allies in Germany to supply additional heavy weapons to help Ukraine fight off Russia’s military invasion.
After France on Wednesday pledged to deliver armored fighting vehicles to the government in Kyiv, Germany needs to follow suit, according to Marcus Faber, a defense expert from the co-governing Free Democrats in Scholz’s three-way coalition. For starters, Scholz’s administration should begin training Ukrainian forces to operate the Leopard battle tank and Marder infantry fighting vehicle, he said.
“It’s time to supply Ukraine at least with the Marder from industrial stocks directly,” Faber, who was in Kyiv Thursday for discussions with Ukrainian officials, told Bloomberg.
Scholz has so far resisted calls to directly supply modern fighting vehicles, arguing the policy must first be agreed among European Union and NATO allies. Officials in Berlin have also expressed caution about actions that might provoke the Kremlin, a stance widely criticized in light of Russia’s brutal tactics in Ukraine.
German defense manufacturer Rheinmetall AG has refurbished 60 Marder infantry fighting vehicles over the past months. If the chancellery decides to give an export permit, the company could send them to Ukraine within a few weeks.
The Green party — a member of Scholz’s coalition which is traditionally pacifist — also urged the chancellor to rethink the government’s stance on heavy weapons.
“The decision from France is good,” Sara Nanni, a security expert with the Greens in the lower house of parliament, told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. “We should make available to Ukraine what is feasible, including Leopards and Marders from industrial stocks.”
In addition to French AMX-10 RC combat equipment, Ukraine is expecting to take delivery soon of Bradley Fighting Vehicles from the US, Andriy Melnyk, a deputy foreign minister, said Wednesday.
The Bradley is considered an equivalent to Germany’s Marder, while the Leopard is seen comparable to the US Abrams main battle tank, which hasn’t been offered to Ukraine.
Saskia Esken, co-leader of Scholz’s Social Democrats, said Thursday the chancellor is in “close talks” with allies on tank deliveries and that those contacts would continue.
“And then we will also take appropriate decisions,” she said in an interview with broadcaster RTL/ntv, reiterating Germany’s broader commitment to keep supplying Ukraine with weapons “for as long as it takes.”
The government is maintaining its cautious approach at the moment. Germany is doing “what is necessary” to help Ukraine and will continue to coordinate policy with partners, Wolfgang Buechner, a deputy government spokesman, said when asked about the possibility of supplying battle tanks.
“We are doing everything we can to ensure that NATO and Germany do not get involved in this war,” he said at a regular government news conference on Wednesday. “As far as the supply of weapons is concerned, Germany will not go it alone.”
Germany’s hesitant approach is connected with a lack of supplies for its own military after years of underfunding. Scholz put together a special debt-financed €100 billion ($106 billion) fund to upgrade the Bundeswehr’s equipment, but the process will take time. That’s on top of the annual defense budget of some €50 billion.
To help Ukraine, his administration has also agreed swap deals with allies including Greece, Slovenia and Slovakia, under which those countries supply Soviet-era tanks that Germany will replace with more modern versions.
Germany has been one of the most generous supporters of Ukraine, sending billions of euros in financial support and humanitarian aid alongside military equipment. The list includes 30 Gepard anti-aircraft vehicles, 14 self-propelled howitzers, the IRIS-T air-defense missile system and five MARS II multiple-rocket launchers.
–With assistance from Alberto Nardelli.
(Updates with comments from Green lawmaker beginning in sixth paragraph)
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.