Harsh words in the historic Ukraine debate: Merz accuses Scholz of "hesitation and anxiety".

Created: 04/28/2022, 10:00 am

By: Stephanie Munk

Opposition leader Friedrich Merz in the Bundestag.

© Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Historical debate in the Bundestag: Several parliamentary groups want to decide on an application for the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine.

Opposition leader Merz started with sharp criticism of Chancellor Scholz.

Berlin – A historic debate on the Ukraine war will take place in the Bundestag on Thursday morning: it is about the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine for the fight against Russia.

Two days ago, the federal government made a U-turn and decided to deliver tanks and other heavy military equipment to Ukraine after all.

At the end of the debate, a motion should be voted on.

In it, the federal government is asked to support Ukraine with military material - including heavy weapons.

Bundestag debate on Ukraine arms deliveries: Merz starts with sharp criticism of Olaf Scholz

Opposition leader Friedrich Merz (CDU) began his speech in the Bundestag with harsh criticism of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD).

He accused Scholz of "uncertainty and weakness" in the use of language.

Merz criticized that Scholz had delayed the discussion for weeks and "didn't answer a single question" that had been asked of him.

He called it condescending that Scholz had called members of the Bundestag who had criticized his stance on arms sales to Ukraine "boys and girls".

"That is not appropriate for a Chancellor," said Merz.

Scholz's long hesitation about the delivery of heavy weapons in the Ukraine war is not "prudence", but "hesitation, hesitation, anxiety".

This lost valuable time.

Bundestag debates arms deliveries to Ukraine: Merz calls warnings of third world war "irresponsible"

Regarding the deliveries of heavy weapons in the fight against Putin's army, Merz says that these must "always be the last resort" and are not least "an admission of the failure of diplomacy".

The Union would not endorse this lightly, but a new situation has arisen since Russia's attack on Ukraine.

Merz called concerns that the delivery of heavy weapons would increase the risk of a third world war “irresponsible” and “a grotesque reversal of cause and effect.” Other countries have also been supplying tanks and the like to Ukraine for a long time, “why should German weapons in particular have this effect?” Germany, in particular, must know “that appeasement and calming down is what makes the spread of aggression possible in the first place,” said Merz.

Bundestag debate on arms deliveries to Ukraine: Ukraine cannot be extradited to Russia without protection

The Russian war of aggression in Ukraine breaks "blatantly" with international law and destroys the European peace and security order, Green Party leader Britta Haßelmann said in her speech.

Ukraine has an “unrestricted right to self-defense”.

Germany does not want to become a party to the war, but cannot hand the country over to the aggressor Russia without protection.

That is why Ukraine must also be supported with arms deliveries.

Germany wants to deliver "particularly weapons of Soviet or Russian design" because "they can be used immediately".

Reference is made to so-called ring exchange procedures.

Eastern European countries deliver such Soviet-made weapons to Ukraine and receive Western material from Germany or other NATO partners as replacements.

The decision is not legally binding on the government.