Panzer Talk at Anne Will
“What is there to consider?”
By Marko Schlichting
1/23/2023 4:29 am
With rare unanimity, the guests on the ARD talk show Anne Will talked about the renewal of defense policy on Sunday evening. Their conclusion: Europe must become more defensive, and very quickly.
The actual report of the evening comes just before the start of the ARD program Anne Will from Paris. There, Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in a television interview that if a foreign state wanted to deliver “Leopard 2” main battle tanks to Ukraine, the federal government would not stand in the way. Germany is not yet ready to deliver its own battle tanks. Anne Will didn’t know anything about the interview when she questioned Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius before the show. In the show itself, she only speaks to her guests once shortly afterwards.
The moderator first wants to know why the defense minister wants to have the available “Leopard 2” tanks counted. Above all, he wants to find out how many tanks are actually operational, where they are at the moment and how quickly the industry can deliver new tanks. “We want to be prepared for the time when a decision might be made to supply ‘Leopards’,” says Pistorius. And further: “For me, as someone who was in office for the second day on Friday, it was about having a basis for making decisions when it starts, if it starts.” Pistorius could hardly have criticized his predecessor more harshly. Because that was actually their job.
“We don’t need to hide”
Germany does not want to make the decision about tank deliveries alone, says Pistorius. And at the meeting of the Ukraine contact group at the US base in Ramstein, it became clear that not all states were ready to deliver battle tanks to the war zone. After all, “Leopard 2” tanks could also be used for offensive purposes, i.e. for attacks, not just for defense. “You have to weigh up when you bring them into this process. And I think it’s important in the interests of Germany and Europe that you do it carefully and in a balanced manner – and not hasty and carelessly.”
Germany is at the top of the list of countries in the world supporting Ukraine. In the current spring package, the federal government has provided materials such as weapons and ammunition worth 3.3 billion euros. Only the USA and Great Britain would have delivered more. “Germany doesn’t need to hide,” said Pistorius. Air defense is the focus of defense at the moment. A decision on battle tanks will be made soon. Pistorius: “We will do everything we can to help Ukraine win this war.”
“We are wasting time”
CDU defense politician Roderich Kiesewetter would have preferred a quick decision on the delivery of “Leopard 2” tanks. “We’re losing time,” he says in the discussion at Anne Will. It would have been better if Pistorius had announced on Friday that he would support countries that could supply main battle tanks. “But that’s how the impression of hesitation was created.” His hope: Pistorius can convince the chancellor’s office “that we support Ukraine where it is necessary.” Germany must untie the knot. “Because if the war ends in a standstill for Ukraine, then Russia will recover and continue this war against Moldova and the Baltic States as announced. That’s why we must do everything we can to ensure that Ukraine wins this war.”
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil can understand the chancellor’s hesitation. But the SPD and Germany have already taken many steps to support Ukraine in its right to self-defense. Military historian Sönke Neitzel partially agrees. He points out that 50 or 100 main battle tanks are currently not decisive for the course of the war. “But we underestimate the Russians. Nobody knows how the war will continue. And we have to be prepared. The government says it has to weigh things up. But this war has been going on for eleven months. What else is there to weigh up?” According to Neitzel, the picture of a disunited Europe is currently emerging. “But that’s exactly what we don’t want.”
Finally, conflict researcher Nicole Deitelhoff is certain: “What came out in Ramstein is a postponement of the decision.” She is confident that a decision to supply main battle tanks will soon be made: at the latest at the Munich Security Conference. It starts on February 17th.
“overslept the turning point”
In addition to the current war situation in Ukraine, it is important to think further into the future, demands Lars Klingbeil. For example, it is not known who will be elected president in the USA in 2024. Europe must prepare for a new defense policy. He speaks from the soul of all guests. The turning point was overslept, says Nicole Deitelhoff, for example. The initial enthusiasm for the military has since calmed down again. It has now been recognized that the military and diplomacy are two sides of the same coin. It is important that the military regain its place in the strategic debate, but it must also be made clear why talks and negotiations are important for peace. In addition, Germany has not yet understood that it has to take on the tasks of a leading European power.
For Neitzel, the development is much too slow. At the NATO summit in Madrid last year, Germany committed itself to increasing its forces for a rapid reaction force: 15,000 soldiers, around 65 aircraft and 20 ships. “I don’t think we can achieve that.” Germany must finally put pressure on the cauldron: “The state must prove that this country can continue to develop evolutionarily.”
Since the SPD boss is completely with Neitzel. “There must be investigation guarantees, production capacity must be ramped up, and we need European coordination processes. There is not a single day that we can lose,” says Klingbeil. This could also be understood as an appeal to your own party.