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End User certificates play an important role in preventing arms ending up with hostile groups. To simply ignore them, however well intentioned, would be illegal and set a very bad precedent. The way forward must be to put overwhelming political pressure on Germany to get off the fence.
Cancelling future military contracts may put a squeeze on Germany via industry.
https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/str...anzer-101.html
Translation:
The pressure on Chancellor Scholz in the tank debate is growing: In the tagesschau24 interview, FDP defense politician Strack-Zimmermann criticized procrastination. "If you want to deliver, you should deliver." SPD faction leader Mützenich campaigned for reason instead of "sniffing". In the discussion about the delivery of "Leopard 2" lancers, the pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the newly sworn Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius is increasing - also from the own ranks of the traffic light coalition. The government acts despondently, said the FDP defense politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann in the tagesschau24 interview - and thus renewed her criticism. The Western world is waiting for Germany to make decisions, for Germany to lead. But the federal government is waiting for the pressure to increase and only then "do you get going," says the chairman of the Defense Committee. If you want to deliver, you should deliver, she said with regard to the requests of Poland, which wants to hand over "Leopard" tanks to Kiev, but are still waiting for German approval.
9 minutes
"Who wants to deliver should deliver," Chairman of the Defense Committee, Strack-Zimmermann
Tagesschau24 3:00 pm, 2/21/023
Strack-Zimmermann hopes for Pistorius Strack-Zimmermann hopes that the new Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius will "dissolve the shackles" and make the decision to lay the tank. If you do not want to deliver the "Leopard" tank, then you have to explain to the Allies and Ukraine why Germany rejects this instead of waiting "degenerately". "We have tanks, we should deliver them and should stand by Ukraine and not open another argumentative battlefield," stressed the FDP politician. Whoever subordinates to her, first the tanks would come and then the troops, argue deeply dubiously. Under international law, Germany can supply Ukraine with material and thus stand by Ukraine.
01/2023
Military aid to Ukraine
Other weapons, but no "Leopard" tanks
There is still no permission for "Leopard 2" deliveries. First, the German stocks are checked.
Göring-Eckardt: Strengthen Ukraine militarily Bundestag Vice President Katrin Göring-Eckardt joined the criticism of Strack-Zimmermann. "I would have liked the German government to have cleared the way for the delivery of 'Leopard' ancers as early as this week," she told the newspapers of the Funke Mediengruppe. "These are urgently needed in Ukraine." Ukraine defends not only its own country, "but also our freedom," emphasized Göring-Eckardt. Lindner: Pistorius should examine further aid Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner said more cautiously. He called on Defense Minister Pistorius to examine further German aid. "However, a new Minister of Defense is also a new opportunity for Germany to examine what we can still do to support Ukraine in its fight for peace and freedom," Lindner said. He did not show what concrete aid he meant.
Commentary
01/2023
Ramstein Conference on Ukraine
It's not just about main battle tanks
At the conference in Ramstein, no decision was made on the delivery of "Leopard" lancers.
Mützenich: Reason instead of "sniffing" SPD faction leader Rolf Mützenich, on the other hand, stood behind Chancellor Scholz - and criticized Strack-Zimmermann. "Mrs. Strack-Zimmermann and others talk to us into a military conflict," Mützenich told the dpa news agency. The same people who demanded going it alone with heavy main battle tanks today would scream for planes or troops tomorrow. "A policy in times of war in Europe is not made in the style of indignation rituals or with a breath of freshness, but with clarity and reason," says the SPD politician. Security policy is not limited to arms deliveries, emphasized the SPD faction leader. Close coordination with the military world power USA and the attempt to involve the rising regulatory power China is essential for a resilient end to the war in Ukraine. Scholz has lived up to both demands since the beginning of the Russian attack on Ukraine.
01/2023
Delivery of main battle tanks
Pistorius wants to check "Leopard" stocks
Germany "do not block a decision," said Defense Minister Pistorius in Ramstein.
Pistorius wants to check stocks At the meeting of the Ukraine contact group at the US base Ramstein, no decision was made on Friday to deliver "Leopard" peds to Ukraine. The new Minister of Defense Pistorius initially ordered an examination of the stocks for a possible delivery to Ukraine. Previously, Poland and other EU and NATO states had agreed to provide the Ukrainian army with "Leopard" tanks from German production. For this, however, the federal government would have to give the green light. Kiev has long been calling for the delivery of Western battle tanks.
06/15/2021
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