Union faction leader Friedrich Merz insists on the delivery of modern Leopard II battle tanks to Ukraine. “Supporting Ukraine with armored personnel carriers and battle tanks would not prolong this war, it would shorten it,” said the CDU chairman in an interview with the German Press Agency in Berlin. “Germany and other European countries should have supplied Ukraine with infantry fighting vehicles and main battle tanks of Western design long ago.”
Merz described it as an important signal to Russia that US President Joe Biden once again pledged his support to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week. It is good that at least the Americans acted decisively and delivered anti-missiles. A joint action by the United States and the European Union on various arms deliveries to Ukraine “would certainly have been possible,” said Merz. “The chancellor’s office obviously lacks the political will to take over leadership in Europe.”
Scholz doesn’t want Germans to go it alone
Ukraine has long been asking its allies for Western-style battle tanks and armored personnel carriers. According to Ukrainian information, talks are underway with the federal government about the delivery of the German models Leopard 2 and Marder. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) does not want to deliver such tanks as long as they are not provided by other alliance partners. The SPD politician has repeatedly emphasized that Germany will not go it alone on this issue.
When asked whether Russian President Vladimir Putin could be a negotiating partner after the end of the war, Merz said: “I can’t imagine how a Russian government under the leadership of the current President Putin would still be in office after a lost war against Ukraine can be and conducts such negotiations.” He added: “From what we have read from Russia, it seems more and more unlikely that Putin will survive this war politically.”
Merz does not expect the war in Ukraine to end quickly. Although one wishes otherwise, one has to accept that it will take some time. “In any case, the hopelessness of further warfare has not yet been reached for Russia.” However, everything must be done to give Ukraine a chance to restore the country’s territorial integrity. “That means we have to continue to help this country in a humanitarian, financial, political, but also military way.”
