Chancellor Olaf Scholz won praise from domestic allies for the latest boost in German military aid for Ukraine but some said the decision to ship combat vehicles should have come much sooner and urged the government to supply even heavier kit.
(Bloomberg) — Chancellor Olaf Scholz won praise from domestic allies for the latest boost in German military aid for Ukraine but some said the decision to ship combat vehicles should have come much sooner and urged the government to supply even heavier kit.
Germany announced late Thursday it will send Kyiv as many as 40 of its Marder infantry fighting vehicles, as well as a Patriot air-defense system. In a joint statement, the US said it will contribute Bradley Fighting Vehicles, providing a significant upgrade in firepower in the fight against Russia’s invasion along with similar armored AMX-10RCs France pledged to ship on Wednesday.
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, a member of Scholz’s FDP coalition partner, said she was “very relieved” by the move to send Marders and called on the government to immediately add NATO-grade Leopard 2 battle tanks to the package. If Germany gave the green light, other allies would follow suit and send their Leopards, she said Friday in an interview with public broadcaster NDR.
“If these are delivered in a later installment we’ll lose even more time and that is the big problem,” added Strack-Zimmermann, who chairs the lower house of parliament’s defense committee. “As long as Russia is attacking Ukraine we have to do everything that is in our power.”
Scholz was previously reluctant to deliver combat vehicles to the government in Kyiv, arguing that Germany shouldn’t act unilaterally and any decision should be coordinated with European Union and NATO partners. Officials in Berlin were also cautious about provoking the Kremlin, a stance widely criticized in light of Russia’s brutal tactics.
Germany has been one of the most generous supporters of Ukraine, sending billions of euros in financial support and humanitarian aid alongside military equipment. The list of kit includes 30 Gepard armored anti-aircraft vehicles, 14 self-propelled howitzers, the IRIS-T air-defense missile system and five MARS II multiple-rocket launchers.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Thursday’s US-German announcement was “a very important decision” and “truly a great victory for our country.” He said he’s due to speak with Scholz on Friday, when “all details and terms” of the latest arms shipments will be announced.
Anton Hofreiter, a member of Scholz’s Greens coalition partner, said the decision to supply combat vehicles had come “very, very late” and urged the chancellor to match French President Emmanuel Macron in “showing leadership.”
“We have to be very clear that if these combat vehicles had been delivered sooner then fewer Ukrainian soldiers would have died,” Hofreiter, who heads parliament’s EU committee, said Friday in an interview with public broadcaster ARD.
“It would have also enabled the Ukrainians to liberate more occupied areas and free the people more quickly from Russian terror,” he added. “At the very least, we should immediately start training Ukrainian troops on the Leopard 2.”
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