Scholz under pressure to increase military support to Ukraine with Leopard 2 assault tanks
After the German government’s decision to send Marder-type defense tanks to Ukraine, the two junior coalition partners insist on the need to also provide assault tanks such as the Leopard 2. Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a “turnaround” in Germany’s policy of not supplying arms to conflict zones after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, then vowed Berlin would take more responsibility for Europe’s defense Ukraine is only making sluggish progress, much to the impatience of Scholz’s liberal-green coalition partners from the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
When asked about the delivery of armored cars to Kyiv, the foreign minister repeated for months as a mantra that Germany would not take any “individual steps” but would only act together with the other NATO members. The government is now planning to send about 40 of the 370 available Marders to the Bundeswehr, the first in the first quarter of 2023 and after Ukrainian soldiers have been trained in their use. The decision comes late, according to Potsdam Professor of International Relations Christian Rieck, because a “more decisive” approach could have decimated Russia’s capabilities sooner. “Besides, the martens haven’t been delivered yet. Until now, these arms deliveries have always taken too long,” he warns.
Following the announcement, Liberal Party defense expert Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann tweeted that it was a “great relief” but promised to keep pushing for Germany to also supply main battle tanks. Similar arguments come from Los Verdes, which has been unequivocally in favor of arms deliveries since the beginning of the war. “I would like us, as the main production country for Leopard 2, to start a European initiative for the delivery of Leopard 2 and see together with Europe what else we can deliver to Ukraine so that it can liberate the occupied territories,” said the Green MEP Anton Hofreiter.
The Christian Democratic opposition accuses Scholz of only reacting to international pressure and accuses him of lacking leadership. For Michael Zürn, professor of international politics at Freie Universität Berlin, the joint announcement this week by the United States, France and Germany of supplying light tanks is due to a number of factors. Everyone would have wanted the others to take this step, he explains, both because of the costs and because of the burden on the army itself, but the joint decision to carry out parallel transports overcame the resistance of the federal government.
In addition, the situation at the front also plays a role, where there are no movements that could strengthen Ukraine in the face of possible negotiations with Russia. After all, according to the expert, there have been signs in recent months that the West interprets as a reduction in the possibility of a nuclear escalation, which has also increased the willingness to deliver more powerful weapons.
For Berlin’s decision to also deliver the Leopard 2, a similar interplay of factors must occur, according to Zürn. It is necessary that the step appears to be militarily necessary, that the problem of cost sharing is solved cooperatively and that “Russia’s potential partners” such as China do not see the measure “as a reason for a nuclear escalation”. “If all three factors occur, that cannot be ruled out, as domestic political pressure continues,” says the professor.
Public opinion in Germany remains cautious, and according to a poll by public television ARD shortly before the delivery of the Marten and Leopard was announced, 41% of citizens were in favor of maintaining military support at the level at which it was recorded The proportion of those who want to increase arms aid has risen to 25 percent, but a quarter of respondents believe that supplies of military material are going too far. Only every third German believes that the war will end in 2023. (Efe)