“It’s blocking the Chancellery”: Criticism of sluggish arms deliveries is increasing

“It blocks the chancellor’s office”
Criticism of sluggish arms deliveries is increasing

The Bundestag has approved arms deliveries to Ukraine. But in the eyes of the Union, this is going much too slowly. CDU foreign politician Kiesewetter sees the problem primarily in the chancellery. Dissatisfaction is also more than clear in Warsaw.

The Union has accused Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the SPD of putting the brakes on the delivery of arms to Ukraine. The CDU foreign politician Roderich Kiesewetter said on the rbb24 info radio that he expected Scholz to finally implement the Bundestag decision on this. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Foreign Office had issued all permits (for arms deliveries). Now it is up to Scholz, as chairman of the Federal Security Council, to make these deliveries possible.

“It’s blocking the chancellery,” complained Kiesewetter. Without the supply of heavy weapons, war crimes would not be prevented. The CDU foreign expert Norbert Röttgen made a similar statement. “It is tragic that now, in the most difficult and loss-making weeks for Ukraine, nothing can be expected from the federal government in terms of weapons that it needs right now,” Röttgen told the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung”. “Ukraine will pay a high price in blood because it is missing artillery weapons right now,” warned the CDU politician.

Overall, the chancellor’s actions were aimed at “not doing anything that would seriously damage his ability to talk to Putin. And I think that’s a serious mistake,” Röttgen continued. Kiesewetter also cited the fact that he “still believes, together with Macron, that we can negotiate with Putin” as the reason for Scholz’s hesitant attitude. But Putin could only be offered one thing: his forehead, emphasized Kiesewetter.

Warsaw: “You don’t see any goodwill”

Poland also accused the federal government of a lack of commitment to the promised delivery of tanks. “The talks have stalled. You don’t see any goodwill. Let’s hope that changes,” said the head of the President’s National Security Office, Pavel Soloch, to radio Rmf.fm. The defense ministries are in contact.

Berlin had asked for tanks to be used to replace tanks that Poland had given to Ukraine, Soloch said. “German military aid – be it for Ukraine or be it support of countries that provide this aid – falls short of expectations.”

Poland supports its neighbor with Soviet T-72 tanks. Warsaw has already made it clear that it expects compensation from NATO partners, including Germany. A large part of the tank arsenal in the Polish armed forces consists of German tanks of the “Leopard” type.

source site-34