Germany
Article reserved for subscribers
Once again, Germany is reversing its approach to the conflict in Ukraine by announcing the delivery of heavy offensive weapons to Kyiv. The Social Democratic Chancellor finally yielded to public opinion.
The German Chancellor thought he was getting away with it by offering a few thousand anti-tank rocket launchers, old Stinger surface-to-air missiles or other Cold War howitzers drawn from the dusty stocks of the East German army. Delivering tanks to the Ukrainians would run the risk of starting a third world war, was alarmed again this weekend Olaf Scholz in an interview with Der Spiegel to justify his wait-and-see attitude.
Under pressure from public opinion, from the countries of Central Europe, from armament manufacturers and also from environmentalists in his government, the Social Democratic Chancellor was finally forced to give in on the deliveries of heavy weapons to which he was initially opposed on principle. Christine Lambrecht, its Social Democratic Minister of Defense, announced the decision on Tuesday during the meeting on Ukraine organized by the Americans at their Ramstein airbase in southwestern Germany, the most largest base in the world outside of the United States.
Norbert Röttgen, spokesman for the Conservatives (opposition) for foreign policy issues, was amused by such a reversal of the situation: “Suddenly heavy weapons deliveries no longer mean World War III?” was he surprised for…