Increase deterrence in Ukraine
CDU proposes selective arms delivery
02/05/2022 09:14 am
Ukraine is demanding support from Germany in the conflict with Russia – ideally in the form of arms deliveries. Chancellor Scholz rejected the request. The CDU is now proposing to send defensive weapons instead.
The CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter spoke out in favor of German arms deliveries to Kiev in view of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. “Selective arms deliveries to Ukraine would help to increase the deterrent effect in order to change Putin’s calculations and Russia’s escalation dominance,” Kiesewetter told the Rheinische Post and Bonn’s “General-Anzeiger”. A “credible reaction by Germany to the threat to Ukraine from Russia” is needed. Specifically, the CDU politician named deliveries for telecommunications reconnaissance, jammers against Russian communications, night vision devices, anti-tank technology or anti-aircraft missiles, “i.e. rather defensive weapons”.
The federal government had only promised Ukraine 5,000 military protective helmets, but had so far ruled out arms deliveries. Chancellor Olaf Scholz only gave a clear rejection of such a measure on Wednesday evening in the ZDF “heute journal”. This attitude has recently been clearly criticized by Ukraine and eastern NATO allies.
“Chancellor Scholz must make a clear commitment to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to the European security order, to standing up for Ukraine and the position of NATO,” said Kiesewetter, referring to the Chancellor’s planned trips. “This includes the clear announcement to President Putin that Germany is not prepared to rule out any sanctions and is also prepared to accept disadvantages and costs.” Therefore, neither the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline nor an exclusion of Russia from the Swift payment system should be excluded as sanctions. Scholz wants to meet Putin on February 15.
In the West, amid reports of more than 100,000 Russian troops deploying near Ukraine, fears the Kremlin is planning an invasion of its neighbor. Moscow denies that. It is also considered possible that the Russian side wants to stir up fears in order to persuade NATO to make concessions on demands for new security guarantees.