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FDP defense expert Strack-Zimmermann: criticism of the traffic light chancellor
Photo: Britta Pedersen/ picture alliance/ dpa
The political pressure on SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz is growing.
From the outside, but also within the government.
The fact that Kiev's mayor Vitali Klitschko is once again demanding the delivery of heavy weapons from Germany is not surprising and, from the Ukrainian perspective, is more than understandable.
"We need the heavy weapons from Germany immediately," Klitschko told the "Bild" newspaper on Monday.
'Any delay costs lives.
That should be clear to everyone.
I cannot understand this debate.«
With his last sentence, Klitschko also touched the mood of some politicians from the traffic light coalition - and that should worry the Chancellor a little more.
Once again, it was the chair of the defense committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, who asked Scholz for a clear position on how the chancellor wanted to support Ukraine from now on.
"More money is not yet the solution, but it is a very important step because it is a prerequisite for Kyiv to buy heavy weapons," said the FDP politician to the "Stuttgarter Zeitung" and the "Stuttgarter Nachrichten", playing on the planned increase in military aid to Kyiv.
Now Scholz must “make the necessary arrangements with Ukraine as quickly as possible”.
»The Chancellery leaves the interpretation to others«
"It would be nice if he would then break his silence and explain what he actually wants," added Strack-Zimmermann.
She criticized "that communication with Ukraine, with our allies, but also within 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.
"In this way, the Chancellery leaves the interpretation to others and thus creates an image of a hesitant country," the politician continued.
The Greens also criticized Scholz's supposedly hesitant attitude.
The promised military aid is commendable, but "cannot replace the rapid delivery of heavy weapons," said Anton Hofreiter, chairman of the Europe Committee, in an interview with the "Rheinische Post".
So far, Germany has not delivered heavy weapons such as tanks to Ukraine.
As justification, the federal government refers, among other things, to the necessary agreements with partner countries and to the fact that Ukrainian soldiers are not trained for the devices.
It was announced on Friday that the government intends to increase its financial military aid to Ukraine.
Opposition calls financial aid “a bad diversionary tactic”
The deputy chairman of the Union parliamentary group, Johann Wadephul, even sees this as a deceptive maneuver.
»Ukraine has not lacked money – if only because of the EU funds.
The increase in funds is therefore just a bad diversionary tactic," says the CDU politician to the "world".
At the core, it is currently about the question of whether Germany will allow the export of heavy weapons.
"Olaf Scholz has to show his colors now," says Wadephul.
There are several armaments companies that could supply heavy weapons.
'It's every hour.
The Russian attack in the east is imminent.”
CDU foreign politician Norbert Röttgen also attacked Scholz from the opposition: "Money doesn't help at all," he told the "Rheinische Post".
Scholz "does not want to deliver, but does not say so, but tricks," complained Röttgen.
“It's not just the Ukraine that's immensely disappointed with this behavior.
I don't know when a federal government has ever caused greater foreign policy damage than in the current situation, in which the fate of Europe's future is at stake."
While politicians from the Greens and FDP in particular advocate the delivery of heavy weapons in the traffic light coalition, the SPD is rather skeptical on this issue.
"The open dispute in the coalition over arms deliveries to Ukraine is damaging the reputation of our country around the world," said CDU leader Friedrich Merz to the newspapers of the Funke media group.
Sigmar Gabriel defends Scholz
In contrast, the former SPD Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel Scholz defended.
One must "be aware of the consequences of escalating this war," he wrote in a guest article in SPIEGEL.
It is therefore correct that the government "can only supply heavy weapons to Ukraine in coordination with the United States of America".
Gabriel also defended Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in the dispute over his failed visit to Kyiv.
The cancellation from Kyiv was "unprecedented and irritating," judged Gabriel.
Critical statements by the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, about Steinmeier are "malicious".
Melnyk countered on Twitter that the "years of Putin-friendly policy" pursued by Gabriel and his "SPD cronies" were particularly malicious.
This policy "first brought about the barbaric war of annihilation" against the Ukraine.
FDP politician Strack-Zimmermann recommended a direct conversation: She and Melnyk "had our little skirmishes at the beginning," she wrote on Twitter.
“And then we made an appointment for coffee and aired it out.
The conversation was very helpful.«
cgu/dpa/AFP
