German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was pressed Thursday, January 5 within his coalition and by the opposition to give the green light to the sending of tanks to Ukraine, after the announcement by France of the delivery of combat tanks light.
"
The argument constantly put forward by the chancellery that Germany should not go it alone is absolutely over
," said the president of the Defense Committee in the Bundestag - the lower house of parliament - Marie -Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, an executive of the liberal party FDP, member of the coalition of Olaf Scholz.
Paris has promised Ukraine to deliver French-made AMX-10 RC light battle tanks, in response to the pressing needs of kyiv, to confront the Russian army.
Ukraine's European allies have delivered Soviet-designed tanks before, but never yet Western-built tanks, despite repeated requests from kyiv.
“
Once again, France is taking on the role that was expected of Germany and is taking the lead itself
,” laments Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, for whom “
the ball is now in Berlin's court
”.
A question discussed
Alexander Graf-Lambsdorff, a diplomat also a member of the FDP and possible next German ambassador to Moscow, said he expected the subject to be discussed within the coalition.
The German government has so far always refused to deliver tanks on the pretext that such a measure should be decided in consultation with the Western allies and that Germany and NATO should not be directly involved in the war. between Russia and Ukraine.
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In particular, Kiev is calling on Berlin to send Leopard 2
tanks
. .
A meeting of allies to coordinate their aid should thus take place "
in mid-January
", according to these sources.
But the French decision could change the situation, even within the social-democratic party SPD of Chancellor Scholz, so far opposed to such deliveries, unlike its liberal and ecological partners.
The French gesture "
should shake things up in the German debate
", judge Andreas Schwarz, in charge of defense policy within the SPD.
"
Germany should take the initiative because new deliveries involve prior training and the establishment of supply chains
," he argued to Spiegel.
Disagreements in the Bundestag
The chancellor must “
now launch a European initiative for the delivery of Leopard 2 tanks
”, claims for his part the ecologist Anton Hofreiter, the chairman of the European Affairs Committee of the Bundestag.
“
There are around 2,000 active Leopard 2s in Europe.
Just 10% delivered to Ukraine would be a great help
”.
The conservative opposition CDU is not left behind and also wants tank deliveries.
"
Germany should now decide, during a brief meeting of its government, to reverse its current strategy
," said the expert on defense issues of the Christian Democratic Party, Henning Otte.
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Only the far-right AfD party, on the contrary, wants Germany not to cross this “
red line
” and therefore not send tanks.
“
Russia could mobilize new troops and use even heavier weapons in Ukraine
,” warns party co-chairman Tino Chrupalla.
This debate comes at a time when the Minister of Defense, Christine Lambrecht (SPD), is weakened by a video of wishes deemed missed in which she says in particular thank you for all the "
meetings
" that the conflict in Ukraine has allowed her to make.
