"Very frightening statements" - Union sharply criticizes the chancellery minister

The Union has reacted with sharp criticism to new statements by Chancellor Wolfgang Schmidt (SPD), which is why the federal government does not want to supply battle tanks to Ukraine. "These are very frightening statements that hopefully cannot be the official position of the Federal Government of the Federal Republic of Germany because they show frightening ignorance," defense politician Roderich Kiesewetter told the "Tagesspiegel".

At the Progressive Governance Summit in Berlin on Thursday, Schmidt said in English: “If battle tanks bearing the German Iron Cross were captured, it would be the perfect occasion for Russian propaganda to say, look, this is NATO, the attacks us."

He also compared the call for German tanks with the hope of a turnaround in the war with V2 weapons during the Nazi era. "I'm tempted to call it the Germans' V2 syndrome," Schmidt continues, believing that there's a magic bullet that makes things just magically go away. For some, the Leopard 2 is now the miracle weapon that could end the war, "but that's just not how it works," emphasized Schmidt.

Kiesewetter told the "Tagesspiegel": "All combat vehicles and weapon systems that are supplied do not bear the national insignia of the supplying countries, but rather the national insignia of Ukraine. The Iron Cross is reserved for Bundeswehr vehicles on mandated missions and domestically.”

Furthermore, the use of the term V-weapons, i.e. retaliatory weapons, testifies to "fatal historical ignorance". The V2 rocket was used by the Nazi regime as an offensive weapon against civilian targets in large cities such as London or Antwerp. Leopard-type tanks would be used to liberate Ukraine's own territory, for Ukraine's self-defence, as a joint European initiative, as suggested by Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael Roth (SPD).

In addition, all experts would say that main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles would strengthen Ukraine militarily in order to restore its territorial integrity. “Schmidt not only confuses cause and effect, but also plays down Russia's terrible war against the Ukrainian civilian population and discredits Germany's reputation. Chancellor Merkel would have recalled a chancellery minister with such statements.”

Union parliamentary group leader Johann Wadephul also sharply criticized Schmidt. "It was a disturbing appearance by the head of the chancellery. He showed that Chancellor Scholz got lost "and does not have his own consistent strategy of supporting Ukraine," Wadephul told the Tagesspiegel. "Because the Gepard tanks that were delivered could also be captured and of course there is no 'silver bullet'." The question remains whether Germany "is doing everything it can." Unfortunately, this question has to be answered in the negative with regard to armored personnel carriers and main battle tanks. "The government is not living up to its own demands and Germany is not living up to its international responsibility."

Ukraine also demands main battle tanks such as the modern Leopard 2 and armored personnel carriers from Western countries such as Germany. Such tanks could be of use to Ukraine in advances and recapture of territories. The German federal government under Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SDP) has been criticized several times for being too cautious with arms deliveries. Scholz recently said Germany wanted to focus on providing air defense systems and artillery.