Arms deliveries to Ukraine
Bundeswehr Association fears weakening of its own army
09/17/2022, 07:15 am
There is disagreement over the issue of further arms deliveries to Ukraine. For the head of the Bundeswehr Association Wüstner, however, it is clear that not only tank deliveries, but every other weapon that is handed over by the Bundeswehr leads to the “cannibalization” of the troops.
In the debate about tank deliveries to Ukraine, the German Bundeswehr Association warns against “cannibalizing our troops”. “We understand Ukraine’s desire for heavy weapons only too well. We can imagine, for example, handing over armored personnel carriers from the stocks of the industry,” said association head André Wüstner to the editorial network Germany. “What is no longer possible from our point of view as a professional association, however, is the delivery of weapons and ammunition to the Bundeswehr. Every single delivery leads to a weakening of the Bundeswehr.”
“Many in the Bundeswehr fear that this policy of further cannibalization of our troops will have negative effects,” added Wüstner. He related this to a “sometimes precarious material operational readiness”, the NATO obligations as well as training and exercise “as a prerequisite for everything”. Wüstner emphasized: “Our demand is therefore: No further sale of Bundeswehr stocks. And, just as important: Immediate procurement of replacements for the systems that have been sold so far!”
Still disagreement
Ukraine is pushing for more arms deliveries from Germany, including battle tanks. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has so far rejected this. The coalition partners Greens and FDP are also putting pressure on the SPD in this regard.
The FDP defense expert Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann told the “Mannheimer Morgen”: “What Ukraine has achieved so far in terms of military strategy was only possible because Ukraine received the necessary weapons from the West.” Now more material must follow – including the Marder infantry fighting vehicle, “with which the Ukrainian army could move up and specifically attack Russian positions”. When it was pointed out that the chancellor apparently saw things differently, Strack-Zimmermann replied: “Which puzzles us all.”
On Thursday, the federal government announced that Ukraine would be given two more Mars multiple rocket launchers and 50 Dingo armored vehicles. In addition, 200 rockets would be delivered. The armed wheeled transporter Dingo is used for patrol and reconnaissance.