“It’s not about toys”
Baerbock urges restraint in the fighter jet debate
2/11/2023 8:01 am
No sooner has the promise to deliver battle tanks to Ukraine been decided than a debate erupts about the next delivery: fighter jets. But Foreign Minister Baerbock calls for caution. It is not a question of “toys, but of heavy war material.”
In the discussion about further arms deliveries to Ukraine, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock insists on caution. The Greens politician told the Tagesspiegel that these were “difficult decisions”. “It’s not about toys, it’s about heavy war material.” Therefore, it is important to “constantly weigh carefully”. At the same time, however, “what happens if Ukraine cannot defend itself” must also be considered.
Asked about the discussion about the possible delivery of fighter jets to the country attacked by Russia, Baerbock said: “This is not a debate that we are having.” It is important that the decisions made so far are implemented quickly.
The debate over the supply of fighter jets to Ukraine followed the decision by several Western states to provide main battle tanks to the country under attack from Russia. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said at the EU summit in Brussels on Friday night that it was “not a topic of conversation”. However, other delegations confirmed that the Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger had addressed the possible delivery of fighter jets to Ukraine in a large group.
At the end of January, Baerbock had called for the cohesion of the western allies with the following words: “We are fighting a war against Russia and not against each other.” This statement at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg caused a great stir and criticism. The Foreign Office then made it clear that Baerbock did not mean that Germany or its allies would participate in the war. In the interview, she asked for understanding: “There is a saying that goes: If you don’t make mistakes, you don’t live.”