Tank communications not ideal
German diplomat in the USA in need of explanation
09/16/2022, 9:39 p.m
Despite increasingly pressing demands, Chancellor Scholz remains steadfast: Germany will not send battle tanks to Ukraine. There is criticism for that. However, this is not always justified, says German Ambassador Haber in the USA. One thing could still go much better.
In the debate about the German contribution to arms deliveries to Ukraine, the German ambassador to the USA, Emily Haber, admitted that the German government had failed in its communication. “Our communication could be better,” Haber wrote on Twitter, referring to criticism of Germany for not doing enough to provide military support to Kiev.
But Haber emphasized that Germany had delivered highly efficient heavy weapons such as howitzers, Gepard tanks, Mars multiple rocket launchers and much more. These weapons have played an important role in Ukraine’s recent military victories.
Like Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the diplomat pointed out that no other state had delivered Western-style main battle tanks to Ukraine. “It’s not an insignificant detail,” she stressed. Ukraine has been demanding main battle tanks like the German Leopard 2 ever since its military successes in recapturing areas occupied by Russian forces.
Scholz “remains very true to his line”
So far, however, the federal government has left this requirement unfulfilled. “No change” in the chancellor’s position is to be expected in the foreseeable future, according to government circles. Scholz has repeatedly argued in the past few days that Germany will not go it alone on the issue of supplying infantry fighting vehicles and battle tanks to Ukraine. Such war equipment could at best be delivered together with allies. “He remains very true to his line,” it said in Berlin.
The federal government sees “currently no other countries that would supply battle tanks,” said the circles in Berlin. The government is not under pressure from the allies either. For example, there is “neither pressure nor requests from the White House in Washington that we deliver specific weapon systems – for example battle tanks – to Ukraine.”
At the same time, it was emphasized that the German refusal to such deliveries does not have to apply forever: “We will continue to see what we can do to help depending on the situation,” said the circles.