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Christian Lindner offers Pistorius his support

2023-01-21T15:37:16.927Z


Almost all political camps criticize the lack of a decision on Leopard 2 deliveries to Ukraine. FDP leader Lindner is no exception, but offers the defense minister his support.


Enlarge image

Fast at the military training ground, not in Ukraine: Leopard 2 tanks of the Hungarian army

Photo: Csaba Krizsan / dpa

The postponed decision on the delivery of German battle tanks to the Ukraine has been harshly criticized not only by the opposition.

Disappointed voices are also heard from the traffic light coalition.

The chairwoman of the defense committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), said on Friday evening in the ZDF "heute journal": "History is looking at us, and unfortunately Germany has just failed." The communication, in particular by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD ) on this issue is a "disaster", because on the one hand Germany is giving Ukraine massive support, but the lack of a decision on the battle tanks gives a different impression.

Scholz remains guilty of explanations.

At the state party conference of the NRW-FDP in Bielefeld, Christian Lindner (FDP) called on the new Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) to examine further German aid.

Pistorius has his full support as finance minister, Lindner said.

"A new defense minister is also a new opportunity for Germany to examine what else we can do to help Ukraine in its fight for peace and freedom," said Lindner.

The politician did not explain what kind of help he meant.

Pistorius "on the chain"

Despite considerable pressure from Ukraine and the states supporting it, the German government has not yet made a decision on the delivery of Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Kyiv.

On Friday, the allies met for a Ukraine conference in Ramstein, at which further billions in aid for the country attacked by Russia were agreed.

Defense Minister Pistorius announced on the sidelines of the meeting that the availability and number of Leopard tanks would be reviewed.

"At least a signal would have been right to give the partners the green light," said Strack-Zimmermann.

By that she meant the desire of countries like Poland to deliver their own German-made Leopard-2 to Ukraine.

For this you need a permit from Berlin.

From their point of view, Pistorius was "on the chain," said Strack-Zimmermann.

However, she is certain that the Leopard 2 tanks will eventually be delivered to Ukraine.

The Bundestag Vice President Katrin Göring-Eckardt (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) was also disappointed.

"I would have wished that the German government had already cleared the way for the delivery of Leopard tanks this week," she told the Funke media group (Sunday).

»These are urgently needed in the Ukraine.

Ukraine is not only defending its own country, but also our freedom.«

Warning against Germany's isolation

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his video message distributed every evening in Kyiv on Friday evening that he had heard a lot of understanding for his country's needs at the talks in Ramstein.

"Yes, we will still have to fight for the supply of modern tanks, but every day we make it more obvious that there is no alternative to choosing tanks."

The Union now fears serious foreign policy damage.

"Germany has done Ukraine and itself a disservice for the future position," said the CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter of the "Augsburger Allgemeine" (Saturday).

"Unfortunately, the result of the Ramstein meeting is further isolation for Germany," he criticized.

It leaves him speechless that it was only the new Minister of Defense who commissioned an inventory of the available Leopard 1 and 2 in Bundeswehr and industrial inventories.

»It is embarrassing and frightening that Germany apparently only remembered this almost a year after the start of the war.«

Reasons for, reasons against

SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich stressed that it was important to act in unison with the United States on this issue.

"It is important that we always take important steps together," said Mützenich of the "Stuttgarter Zeitung" and the "Stuttgarter Nachrichten" (Saturday).

»Together means: also and above all with the USA.

The delivery of main battle tanks is one such step.«

SPD foreign policymaker Nils Schmid emphasized on Deutschlandfunk on Saturday morning that it was not the case that Pistorius had to start counting tanks, but that it was a matter of putting together meaningful packages to support Ukraine in coordination with partners.

That has to be prepared.

"The impression that has occasionally been given that there is a closed coalition and Germany is standing in the way - this impression is wrong." There are good reasons for the delivery, there are good reasons against it.

Schmid emphasized that a careful and prudent assessment of the escalation risks and coordination with the allies is necessary.

Apparently there is still no uniform opinion, "but that doesn't mean that such a delivery of weapons can't come.

We're still working on it.«

Someone »who reads the files«

Recently there had been reports that Scholz had made the delivery of the US Abrams main battle tank a condition for the possible dispatch of German main battle tanks.

However, according to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Pistorius had made it clear that there was no such connection.

On the other hand, SPD leader Klingbeil defended the chancellor.

"Sometimes I think: Isn't that exactly right, that in these times, with these decisions, with these consequences of decisions, that there is someone in the Chancellery who reads the files, who understands everything, who that penetrates?” said Klingbeil in Hamburg.

Lindner is combative

In any case, he himself would like a chancellor "who thinks wisely, who acts wisely, who coordinates internationally," said Klingbeil.

"What Olaf said, 'no going it alone', that must be the premise." It is therefore "exactly right what the chancellor is doing in this historical situation".

Klingbeil emphasized that Germany was supplying arms to the Ukraine "so that this country could defend itself.

That's exactly right that we're doing that." For him, there are "no red lines" on this issue.

But he was also of the opinion »that we have to allow space for discussions.

That we have to weigh things up," emphasized Klingbeil.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Lindner was combative at the party conference in North Rhine-Westphalia, saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin had miscalculated in Ukraine and was also mistaken in Western democracies.

Putin has weaponized gas and calculated that solidarity with Ukraine will diminish if prosperity is threatened.

"He speculated that the economic advantage could be more important to us than our own values, than the commitment to human rights and international law."

mak/dpa/AFP

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2023-01-21

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