The chairman of the Union of German Military Personnel Andre Wüstner, in an interview with the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND) media group, stated that it is inadmissible to continue supplying weapons to Ukraine to the detriment of the combat capability of the Bundeswehr.

“We do not rule out the possibility of issuing armored personnel carriers from industrial stocks.

However, we, as a professional association, believe that the issuance of weapons and ammunition from the Bundeswehr is impossible.

Each delivery leads to a weakening of the Bundeswehr,” Wüstner said.

He stressed that the union of military personnel demands from the authorities of the republic to stop the transfer of weapons to the Armed Forces of Ukraine from army stocks and find a replacement for the equipment that has already been delivered to Ukraine.

Wustner described the current course of the German government as the "cannibalization" of the armed forces.

This, in his opinion, may lead to the fact that Germany will not be able to ensure the combat readiness of its own army, as well as to fulfill its obligations under NATO.

“Many in the Bundeswehr fear that the continuation of the “policy of cannibalization” of our troops will lead to negative consequences that will affect not only the combat readiness due to difficulties with material support, but also our obligations to NATO, for example, the rapid reaction forces (VJTF, Very High Readiness Joint Task Force. -

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) or the creation of an army division by 2025, as well as in combat training and exercises, and this is the basis of everything, ”Wustner said.

Last week, German Defense Minister Christina Lambrecht said that the country had reached the limit in the supply of weapons to Ukraine.

According to her, the reserves of the Bundeswehr no longer allow the transfer of new combat systems to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“We transferred (to Kiev. -

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) an incredible amount of the Bundeswehr's stocks.

But I am also very clear here: we have reached the limit here, ”Lambrecht stated.

"Ham agenda"

Meanwhile, on September 17, in an interview with the Deutschlandfunk radio station, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Germany would continue to provide military assistance to Ukraine, but would not do it alone.

Also, as the head of the German government emphasized, supporting Kyiv, Berlin is striving to prevent escalation between Russia and NATO.

Scholz recalled that Ukraine received from Germany anti-tank weapons, anti-aircraft systems, multiple launch rocket systems.

Now, as the chancellor noted, Berlin is focused on the transfer of artillery and air defense to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In early September, Scholz already noted that Berlin, as far as possible, is transferring heavy weapons, artillery and air defense systems to the Ukrainian army.

  • German self-propelled howitzer PzH 2000

  • Gettyimages.ru

  • © Morris MacMatzen

“This is the most modern weaponry that is currently being used in battles in Ukraine.

We will continue to do this - this is our duty as long as it is necessary, ”Scholz emphasized, speaking at the plenary session of the Bundestag.

At the same time, Berlin still refrains from supplying tanks to the Kyiv regime.

At the public level, the German authorities try not to comment on this topic.

So, in an interview with Deutschlandfunk, Scholz actually evaded answering the host's question about the prospects for transferring Leopard 2 tanks and BMP Marder to Kyiv.

The politician said that a large number of other German weapons had already been transferred to Ukraine, and the tanks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were provided according to the circular exchange scheme.

Such a system involves sending Soviet-made tanks and armored vehicles to Kyiv from Eastern European countries, which are now members of NATO.

In exchange, Germany transfers a certain amount of Leopard 2 to such states. Germany has concluded similar agreements with the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Greece.

According to Die Welt, in early September, Scholz discussed the delivery of the Leopard 2 with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal and did not approve of the idea.

In the political elite of Germany, there are different points of view regarding the transfer of tanks.

For example, the opposition Alternative for Germany (AfD) opposes this form of military support for Kyiv, recalling the words of the Russian Ambassador to Germany, Sergei Nechaev, that the supply of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with lethal weapons has already become a red line for Moscow, “which the German authorities should not have to cross."

At the same time, another opposition party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), on the contrary, supports the transfer of German tanks to Kyiv.

The Union 90 / Greens party, which is part of the coalition government, also believes that Berlin needs to start supplying Leopard 2. In particular, Anton Hofreiter, head of the Bundestag committee on European affairs, expressed this opinion on September 13 in an interview with the Bayern media group.

  • Tank Leopard 2

  • Gettyimages.ru

  • © Morris MacMatzen

“I think we should deliver Leopard main battle tanks as soon as possible to prevent unnecessary deaths of Ukrainian soldiers,” the TASS news agency quoted the deputy as saying.

In general, the "Union 90 / Greens" adhere to the course of increasing the volume of military assistance to Kyiv.

On September 12, in an interview with the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper, party co-chairman Omid Nuripur said that the German authorities were able to strengthen support for Ukraine.

“At the same time, everyone in the government knows that much more can be done.

Deliveries can be carried out not only as part of a circular exchange, but also, if possible, directly from the stocks of the Bundeswehr and industry,” Nuripur said.

The politician does not deny the need to act in conjunction with the allies, but at the same time calls on the authorities not to get bogged down in discussions about individual weapons systems that can be supplied to Kyiv.

“Right now, before winter comes, we must support Ukraine so that they can liberate as much of their territory as possible this year,” Nuripur emphasized.

The Kyiv regime is also insistently demanding that the Scholz government supply tanks and other weapons.

The other day, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that Berlin is supplying the Armed Forces of Ukraine with Dingo armored vehicles instead of Leopard or Marder, which Kyiv requests.

At the same time, experts note that the rhetoric of the Ukrainian authorities on this issue sometimes takes on a brazen and offensive character for Germany.

As Vladimir Vinokurov, professor at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry, recalled in an interview with RT, President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky said in an interview with Reuters that Germany has "certain psychological barriers" in the supply of weapons to the Armed Forces of Ukraine because of its Nazi past.

  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock (center)

  • © president.gov.ua

“Such statements by Zelensky only complement the boorish diplomatic agenda, which has recently become the norm for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry,” Vinokurov stressed.

According to him, reminding the Germans of the Nazi past, Zelensky flatly refuses to acknowledge the fact of service in the Ukrainian formations of adherents of Hitler's ideology.

For example, recently a photograph was removed from the social networks of the President of Ukraine, which depicted a soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the emblem of the SS division “Totenkopf”.

"Let's help in any way we can"

According to Vladimir Vinokurov, the German government has not yet agreed to send tanks to Kyiv, for fear of being drawn into a confrontation with Russia.

In addition, the expert drew attention to the fact that at present "the Bundeswehr is not in the best shape" due to modest weapons stocks and a lack of spare parts for military equipment.

“The Germans have a clear shortage of weapons and spare parts.

The export of tanks would lead to an even greater weakening of the German Armed Forces, ”says Vinokurov.

Leading RISS expert Sergei Ermakov, in a commentary to RT, noted that if there is political will, large German companies can increase the production of tanks and other military equipment.

However, this process requires time and money.

In this regard, the German government is acting on the principle of “we will help in any way we can,” says Ermakov.

Nevertheless, in his opinion, under the patronage of Washington, Kyiv will continue to put pressure on Berlin.

“Germany does not want to take risks and sacrifice its interests.

Meanwhile, Kyiv, using American support, is moving into a brazen tone.

But it seems to me that such behavior is more of a gesture of desperation due to the lack of Western tanks, ”summed up Yermakov.