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BERLIN — Olaf Scholz has restarted his security policy yet again, nominating a new defense minister to take the reins. But when it comes to his reluctance to send main battle tanks to Ukraine, the German Chancellor is still waiting for the US to take the lead.
Tuesday’s nomination of Boris Pistorius puts an end to a deepening government crisis that left Europe’s largest economy virtually without clear military leadership for several days. But Pistorius – whom Scholz sees as having “the strength and composure needed in the face of the turning point,” Germany’s historic military transformation – will have little time to adjust to the new role.
Pressure is mounting on Germany to take part in a broader alliance of states that will supply the Ukrainian army with modern Leopard 2 main battle tanks. And shortly after being sworn in on Thursday, the new defense secretary is scheduled to meet US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who is arriving in Berlin ahead of a key meeting in Germany on Friday where allies will discuss tank supplies for Ukraine.
Pistorius replaces Christine Lambrecht, a staunch defender of Scholz’s cautious tank stance, who resigned on Monday after a series of gaffes and missteps that tarnished Berlin’s reputation.
The expectations of the 62-year-old SPD member Pistorius are correspondingly high. But the Social Democrat lawmaker says the appointment alone will not falter the supply of tanks to Ukraine.
“I don’t think one has anything to do with the other,” SPD spokesman Wolfgang Hellmich told POLITICO.
Kristian Klinck, SPD member of the Bundestag on the defense committee and army reserve officer, also said that he saw “no significant changes at this point due to the personnel change in the Ministry of Defense”.
“This very important question of the delivery of battle tanks” will be decided “primarily in the Chancellery” and in coordination with other allies, Klinck emphasized, Pistorius will play a role in the decision on further military aid for Ukraine.
Scholz himself reiterated his cautious position in an interview with Bloomberg on Tuesday, saying that decisions on further arms deliveries could only be made in close consultation with allies.
However, this argument for holding back tank supplies is starting to sound less convincing considering allies like Poland have called for jointly sending Leopards and after Britain announced it will supply Ukraine with its own Challenger 2 main battle tanks.
However, German officials have indicated that Scholz would likely relocate if he received US support, especially if Washington also agreed to send main battle tanks.
According to a German spokesman, during a phone call between Scholz and US President Joe Biden on Tuesday, both heads of state spoke about “effective, sustainable and closely coordinated” military support for Ukraine. This has raised expectations that a breakthrough in tanks might still be feasible.
Pressure on Scholz
Green MP Anton Hofreiter, chairman of the Bundestag’s Europe Committee and longtime critic of Scholz’s cautious stance, said it was time for the chancellor to act.
“Ultimately, the decision on the delivery of tanks rests with the Chancellor. Behind him is his Social Democratic Party, which unfortunately still often gives in to the illusion that relations with Russia can return to normal and that Moscow should therefore not be provoked too much,” Hofreiter told POLITICO.
Anton Hofreiter, co-chair of the Green Party parliamentary group Sean Gallup/Getty Images
Hofreiter, whose Greens are part of the German governing coalition alongside von Scholz’s SPD and the pro-business FDP, argued that Germany was showing “an unclear, vacillating and hesitant picture” of its military support for Ukraine.
“The allies are now watching Berlin very closely: if we continue to close our minds on the Leopard issue, Germany would become increasingly isolated in Europe,” he said.
Scholz’ Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, also from the Greens, increased the pressure on the Chancellor last week. Berlin should not stand in the way if allies like Poland, Finland or Spain want to send their own Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine – an important demand because Berlin has to approve any re-export of German-made main battle tanks.
The deputy government spokesman later made it clear that Habeck and Scholz had “no differences of opinion” on the matter and indicated that the chancellor would support his deputy’s line.
The comments raised expectations that Berlin could use Friday’s meeting to at least give its allies the green light to send Leopard tanks. But it remains uncertain whether Scholz will join the coalition and offer his own tanks, whether from the Bundeswehr or the armaments industry.
Scholz said on Tuesday that he would not debate these issues publicly.
In Germany, too, there are questions as to whether the recent political crisis in the Ministry of Defense has weakened Scholz. Scholz personally chose Lambrecht and defended her to the end, despite concerns that she had failed to properly spend a rejected influx of defense funds and drained Germany’s supply of ammunition (in addition to her gaffes and dwindling standing with the military).
However, Hellmich from the SPD expressed optimism that these shortcomings would now be remedied with the newly appointed minister.
“Boris Pistorius has been in politics for a long time and knows the subject. He sits on the Defense Committee of the Federal Council [Germany’s upper house of parliament] and is a member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly,” said Hellmich.
“That’s why the troops are in good hands with him.”
This article has been updated to include details of a phone call between Olaf Scholz and Joe Biden.