Breakthrough in Bundestag Union threatens to request arms handover

Breakthrough in Bundestag: Union threatens to request arms handover

From: 04/19/2022 15:16

When it comes to the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine, the Union faction is considering pressing the government with a motion in the Bundestag. The charge: Scholz is “partly responsible for Ukraine’s defenselessness.”

The Union has increased pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to supply Ukraine with heavy weapons. The CDU/CSU parliamentary group has threatened to act in the Bundestag if necessary. “We want to support the federal government in this crisis,” wrote Union parliamentary group leader Johann Wadephul on Twitter. If Scholz does not move forward on the arms deliveries issue, he should expect a request from the CDU and CSU in the Bundestag next week, according to the CDU politician.

Kiesewetter: “Olaf Scholz must now show his colors”

Politicians from the Union, but also from the Greens and the FDP, have repeatedly accused Scholz of hesitating in delivering heavy weapons to Ukraine. CDU foreign politician Roderich Kiesewetter said on the joint ARD and ZDF morning show that he highly appreciates the fact that the federal government is supporting Ukraine with money. “But you can’t buy your freedom,” he said. “It’s really about providing infantry fighting vehicles, artillery systems.” There are several options here.

Wadephul, for his part, accused the federal government of deceiving the public by promising more military financial aid in an interview with “Welt.” “Ukraine didn’t lack money – if only because of EU funds. Raising funds is therefore just a bad diversion tactic,” he said.

The central question is whether Germany would allow the export of heavy weapons. “Olaf Scholz now has to show his colors and ‘deliver’ in the truest sense of the word,” Wadephul said. Scholz is “partly responsible for Ukraine’s defenselessness”.

Klitschko: “We need heavy weapons from Germany”

Germany has so far supplied, among other things, Panzerfaust, anti-aircraft missiles and machine guns, as well as vehicles, night vision devices and protective equipment. However, Ukraine is also demanding heavy weapons such as main battle tanks, artillery pieces and combat helicopters.

Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko again demanded the delivery of heavy weapons from Germany. “We need Germany’s heavy weapons immediately,” he told the Bild newspaper. “Every delay costs lives. That should be clear to everyone. I can’t understand this debate.” In an interview with broadcasters RTL and ntv, he said: “I’m not a weapons expert, but we need tanks and planes.”

Greens and FDP for delivery of heavy weapons

While Greens and FDP politicians in particular are in favor of handing over heavy weapons to the traffic light coalition, Chancellor Scholz’s SPD is skeptical. As justification, the federal government refers, among other things, to the necessary agreements with partner countries and the fact that Ukrainian soldiers are not trained for the devices.

In view of the large-scale Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine, FDP Secretary General-designate Bijan Djir-Sarai called for a swift decision on the delivery of heavy weapons. “Time is of the essence,” said Djir-Sarai in Deutschlandfunk. He assumes that the war will become even more cruel in the coming days. “So Ukraine not only needs our full support and solidarity, but also concrete help, and from my point of view, arms deliveries, or rather heavy weapons, are a necessary path here.”

The decision on the delivery of heavy weapons must be taken quickly. “I also assume that this decision will materialize in the next few days,” said the FDP politician. The fact is, something has to be done.

Hofreiter: “very hesitant”

Green politician Anton Hofreiter also misses the will to act quickly and decisively on Scholz. “He said that whoever ordered the leadership gets the leadership, but it’s not perceived that way across Europe, it’s perceived as very hesitant and hesitant,” the chairman of the European Bundestag Committee told Welt television.

When asked about a possible Union faction request for weapons delivery, Hofreiter criticized both Scholz and Union faction leader Friedrich Merz (CDU). “In my observation, we have the problem of having a chancellor who is not leading enough and an opposition leader who is always trying to gain too little ground from the government.”

Danger that the war will spread

Hofreiter again spoke out in favor of delivering heavy weapons to Ukraine. “The longer this war lasts, the greater the danger that Russia will win this war, the greater the danger that the war will spread.” There is no guarantee that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attack Moldova or even the Baltic states either. Supporting Ukraine now serves to minimize the risk of such an escalation of the war.

“No entry into the war, this is help for self-help”

The chairman of the defense committee, FDP policy Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, demands that Chancellor Scholz take a clear stand on how he wants to support Ukraine. “More money is not the solution yet, but it is a very important step because it is a prerequisite for Kiev to buy heavy weapons,” she told “Stuttgarter Zeitung” and “Stuttgarter Nachrichten” regarding the planned increase in military aid to Kiev.

Now Scholz must “make the necessary arrangements with Ukraine as soon as possible,” Strack-Zimmermann said. “It would be nice if he would break the silence and explain what he really wants.” She criticized “that communication with Ukraine, with our allies, but also with our own country is manageable”.

The Federal Republic has already delivered military material to Ukraine on a large scale, but does not talk about it in detail. “The chancellery leaves the interpretation to others and thus creates an image of a hesitant country,” said Strack-Zimmermann. The delivery of heavy weapons “is not entry into the war, it is simply help needed for self-help,” she wrote on Twitter.

Esken: Gun deliveries need to go through the industry

SPD co-chair Saskia Esken rejected the accusation that the federal government was not allowing the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine. The federal government has approved the delivery of Czech tanks to Ukraine, Esken said in the ZDF. This approval was necessary because the T-72 tanks came from NVA stockpiles. At the same time, a replacement was promised to the Czech Republic. “The Bundeswehr does not have freely available weapons,” Esken said.

Therefore, deliveries to Ukraine must now be made possible through industry “and others”. Scholz will hold more conversations on this. Esken confirmed that Germany would continue to deliver military material to Ukraine.

Discussion of weapons deliveries: Esken defends Scholz’s reluctant course

Oliver Neuroth, ARD Berlin, 19 April 2022 11:09 am