The news from Ukraine is increasing, which nobody in the Kremlin likes to bring to the President.
Because the reports from the front no longer just say that the "special operations" have come to a standstill.
The Ukrainians are already recapturing areas from the invaders.
In order to force Moscow to retreat across the board, Kyiv would also need to be able to deploy armored combat units.
They needed effective protection against attacks from the air, which only fighter planes and long-range surface-to-air missiles can provide.
The vintage cars would already be in action if...
So far, however, western Ukraine has not wanted to deliver large weapons systems out of concern that Moscow could see such deliveries as NATO entering the war.
But even Berlin has understood that Kyiv cannot use bazookas alone to gain a significantly better negotiating position vis-à-vis Moscow.
The federal government has now approved that a Czech arms dealer can pass on almost sixty armored personnel carriers from GDR stocks to the Ukraine – as soon as they have been repaired.
The vintage cars would already be in use if the Merkel/Scholz government hadn't banned this business three years ago.
Had, had, curb chain?
There's a saying that fits even better: Putin punishes those who deliver too late.