Next Scholz turnaround: Federal government delivers Patriot system and Marder tanks to Ukraine
Created: 06/01/2023 06:09
By: Florian Naumann, Mark Stoffers
In addition to the Marder tank and a Patriot system from Germany, the USA is also providing tank support.
© Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert
The federal government has been slowing down tank deliveries to Ukraine for months.
According to a report, that could now change.
Update from January 5th at 8:00 p.m.:
The decision has been made.
Germany is supplying Ukraine with Marder infantry fighting vehicles and a Patriot system.
The federal government announced this on Thursday evening after a conversation between Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President Joe Biden.
The decision that Germany would supply Ukraine with Marder infantry fighting vehicles and a Patriot system was confirmed by a government spokesman on Twitter.
The government spokesman refers to a joint press statement by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President Biden after a phone call between the two politicians.
While Germany is helping Ukraine with the Marder tank and the Patriot air defense system, the USA wants to send Bradley tanks to support the Ukraine war.
Germany will probably deliver 40 Marder armored personnel carriers and Patriot systems to Ukraine
The press release does not give an official number of Marder tanks that Germany wants to deliver to Ukraine.
But there is a number of 40 armored personnel carriers in the room.
This is reported by Spiegel Online.
The aim is to equip a full armored infantry battalion with the 40 martens.
Marder tanks to Ukraine: Infantry fighting vehicles come from old stocks - training by the Bundeswehr
The Marder armored personnel carriers are probably older models from industrial stocks that are to be made operational.
In addition, models from the Bundeswehr stocks are also being discussed for delivery to the Ukraine.
These could then be exchanged for models from the repairs in the following months.
According to the press release, the training of the Ukrainian crews for the Marder tanks is to be carried out by the Bundeswehr.
According to Berlin, the training can be activated at any time.
Rheinmetall: Marder manufacturer should bring 40 tanks back up to speed in seven months
The delivery of the Marder tanks is also possible because the manufacturer Rheinmetall has had around a hundred old armored personnel carriers in stock since last summer.
As part of the ring exchange, Greece is entitled to 40 tanks, which the country will gradually receive in order to then in turn pass on older Soviet tanks to Ukraine.
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According to Spiegel information, however, the remaining 60 armored personnel carriers are available and could be delivered to Ukraine.
Industry circles have said that Rheinmetall will be able to get 40 Marders back on track in the next seven months.
It may be possible to take some models out of the ring exchange and redirect them to Ukraine.
Next Scholz turnaround: Marder plan for Ukraine apparently leaked
First report from January 5 at 4:10 p.m.:
Berlin/Munich – Germany could – a good ten months after the official “turning point” – make the next change of direction in the Ukraine war: Apparently Olaf Scholz’ federal government is now actually considering the delivery of German tanks Ukraine.
In government circles there is talk of a "qualitative step", the
Süddeutsche Zeitung
reported on Thursday afternoon (January 5).
According to information from the newspaper, Marder armored personnel carriers could be provided, probably from industrial stocks.
The decision was agreed with the USA and France.
The time and scope of the possible delivery is still unclear.
"Marder" for Ukraine?
Germany possibly before the turning point – after France and the USA
Ukraine has been asking for Marder deliveries for months.
However, the federal government was skeptical - referring to the threat of "going it alone", to its own defense tasks in NATO, but also with the warning of a direct conflict between Russia and NATO.
According to a survey, people in Germany are also critical of the move.
Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin accused "the West" of "pumping weapons all over Ukraine" on Thursday.
However, experts have repeatedly warned that Ukraine now needs support to turn the war in its favor before a possible Russian offensive in the spring.
So now possibly a leap over the concerns and one's own shadow.
Germany's two NATO partners, the USA and France, had recently increased the pressure indirectly: France had promised Ukraine the delivery of the AMX-10 RC reconnaissance tank on Wednesday, and the Élysée Palace spoke of a "light battle tank".
The wheeled armored vehicle with a large cannon is primarily used for reconnaissance.
The US, meanwhile, is considering sending Bradley tanks.
The armored personnel carrier is the equivalent of the Bundeswehr's "Marder".
Ukraine war: armored personnel carriers instead of battle tanks - but debates are already underway
Union parliamentary group leader Johann Wadephul wrote on Twitter that Macron was taking over political leadership - and the chancellor had "no argument at all" against the delivery of Marder-type armored personnel carriers.
The chairwoman of the defense committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), said the ball was now in Berlin.
SPD leader Saskia Esken only said on RTL and n-tv on Thursday morning that Scholz was “in close coordination with the partners”.
"We will always adapt our deliveries to the requirements of the battlefield," said Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens) on Thursday at an economic conference in Oslo.
The German list of current and planned German projects for military aid to Ukraine is long and now includes eight densely written DIN A4 pages with green and red notes.
Not everything has been publicly acknowledged.
There was no talk of deliveries of main battle tanks, such as the Leopard, the French Leclerc or the US Abrams.
But there are already demands in this direction.
The CDU defense expert Henning Otte called on the traffic light government at the
Rheinische Post
and the Bonner
General-Anzeiger
to release contingents offered by the industry for the Leopard 1 main battle tank for delivery to the Ukraine.
(
fn/dpa
)