SPD attitude in the Ukraine conflict
Klingbeil: Weapon deliveries are “completely wrong signal”
1/30/2022, 4:49 p.m
The German government has been criticized for its opposition to arms deliveries to Ukraine. But for SPD party leader Klingbeil, weapons in the conflict pose an incalculable risk, and he defends his party’s stance. The SPD line is also clear towards Russia.
Despite fierce international criticism, SPD leader Lars Klingbeil has reiterated his party’s rejection of arms deliveries to Ukraine. “Especially in the current situation, it would mean that we would open a door that we might not be able to close anymore,” he said on the ZDF program “Berlin direkt”. “It’s about holding diplomatic talks with the Russian side about how we can avert war in the middle of Europe.” He believes that arms deliveries would be “a completely wrong signal”.
Klingbeil made it clear that he was also critical of Estonia’s application for the transfer of artillery pieces from old GDR stocks to the Ukraine. “I don’t believe in arms deliveries to crisis areas, no matter what country they come from,” he said when asked.
Estonia wants to give nine howitzers to Ukraine – but the country has undertaken to obtain Germany’s consent before passing them on to third parties. In view of a massive Russian troop deployment near Ukraine, there are fears in the West that the Kremlin could be planning an invasion of the neighboring country – Moscow denies this.
When asked about the controversial criticism of the Ukraine by former SPD chancellor Gerhard Schröder, Klingbeil underscored that the current escalation came from Russia from the perspective of the party leadership. “We take what’s happening there very seriously.” This is a dramatic situation in the middle of Europe. “As the party leadership, we say very clearly, and the Chancellor has also emphasized this: the escalation that we are currently experiencing is coming from Russia.”
He added: “We’re happy to take advice and it’s perfectly fine for others to interfere in the debate. But those in charge of the party are clear and unequivocal.”
Schröder had defended Germany’s refusal to deliver arms to Ukraine and had clearly rejected Ukrainian criticism of it. “I very much hope that the saber-rattling in Ukraine will finally stop,” he said on the podcast “The Agenda”. “Because what I hear there, including accusations against Germany for the reasonable cancellation of arms deliveries, sometimes knocks the bottom out of the barrel.”