Strack-Zimmermann on “Leopard 2”
“The chancellor should jump over his shadow”
1/13/2023 5:37 am
Warsaw wants to send “Leopard” tanks to Ukraine. However, a permit from Berlin is required for this. FDP politician Strack-Zimmermann once again calls on Chancellor Scholz to take action.
FDP defense expert Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann has increased the pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the debate about possible main battle tank deliveries to Ukraine. Germany must finally issue the export license for the delivery of the “Leopard 2”, the member of the Bundestag told the newspapers of the Funke media group.
“The chancellor should jump over his shadow in view of the drama in Ukraine.” It is true that the Polish advance looks a lot like an election campaign, during which Germany is only too happy to be presented. “One way or another, we should start training on the ‘Leopard 2’ today, parallel to the training of Ukrainian soldiers on the Marder infantry fighting vehicle.” Otherwise you lose valuable time.
On Wednesday, Poland agreed to deliver Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine together with its allies. Germany plays a key role in the debate because the “Leopard 2” tanks were developed in Germany. As a rule, the transfer of armaments from German production to third parties must be approved.
Union faction vice-president Johann Wadephul insists that deliveries of “Leopard 1” tanks begin immediately. “They are almost ready for industry, and they would be able to prepare them immediately,” said the CDU politician to the “Rheinische Post”.
The armaments company Rheinmetall, for example, has older models of the “Leopard 1” that were retired and taken back by the company a long time ago. Such returns of old stock are common in the defense industry. The Bundeswehr, among others, has long been using the successor model “Leopard 2”, the first version of which was introduced to the troops in 1979.