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Former Environment Minister Jürgen Trittin in the Bundestag (January 2022)
Photo: Sebastian Gabsch / imago images/Future Image
The Union and the FDP have recently made demands for German arms deliveries to Ukraine.
Jürgen Trittin from the Greens has criticized these considerations.
"The entire federal government is of the opinion that deliveries of military goods to crisis areas do not contribute to more security," the former federal environment minister told SPIEGEL.
»In the specific case of Ukraine, it is likely to have a rather destabilizing effect without added military value.
Incidentally, the distinction between defensive and offensive weapons does not exist.
You shouldn't fool yourself or others.« That's why the attitude of the Federal Chancellor and the Foreign Minister is correct, said the 67-year-old.
The chairwoman of the Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), recently brought supplies of defensive weapons to Ukraine into play.
"We agreed in our coalition agreement that no weapons should be delivered to crisis areas," Strack-Zimmermann told the "t-online.de" portal.
But she added: "In view of the current situation and the impact on our continent, we should reconsider this in a specific case."
Trittin: »Armaments are armaments«
FDP faction deputy Alexander Graf Lambsdorff also spoke out in favor of military equipment aid.
He named "non-kinetic equipment" such as protective vests, helmets, radar or night vision devices.
Trittin said to Lambsdorff's suggestion: "Armaments are armaments.
Incidentally, the United States and Great Britain have also declared that they will not defend Ukraine militarily.
The answer to an invasion will not be military - and that's why we don't need such debates."
The designated CDU leader Friedrich Merz had already shown himself open to arms deliveries before Christmas. The CDU defense politician Henning Otte spoke out clearly in favor of "Bild": "If the Ukraine asks for defensive weapons in order to be able to ward off a possible Russian attack, we must not refuse this request." hiding from the coalition agreement" is not a responsible policy. Otte made it clear that the delivery of anti-aircraft missiles is also an option for him. The chairman of the Junge Union, Tilman Kuban, also brought arms deliveries to Ukraine into play in the SPIEGEL top-level talks on Tuesday.
Scholz and Baerbock had recently rejected arms deliveries to Ukraine.
»The German federal government has been pursuing a similar strategy on this issue for many years.
And that also means that we don't export lethal weapons," said Scholz.
Baerbock also argued, citing Germany's history, when she dismissed Ukrainian calls for arms supplies during her visit to Ukraine on Monday.
Russia has massed around 100,000 soldiers on the border with Ukraine.
The West fears an invasion of the neighboring country.
The Kremlin has denied any plans in this regard, but is calling on NATO, among other things, to rule out Ukraine joining the alliance.
NATO rejects this.
hh/svs/dpa/AFP
