Help for Ukraine: Berlin announces "new qualitative step" in arms deliveries

Germany and America are planning a “qualitatively new step” in arms deliveries to Ukraine.

The FAZ learned this from government circles in Berlin.

It has not yet been announced which weapons are involved, but this will apparently be announced soon.

After French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Wednesday evening that France would supply Ukraine with armed RMX-10RC reconnaissance tanks, it is conceivable that Germans and Americans will also supply tanks, but not heavy battle tanks.

Eckhart Lohse

Head of the parliamentary editorial office in Berlin.

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Markus Wehner

Political correspondent in Berlin.

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In the past few weeks, Olaf Scholz (SPD) had coordinated closely with American President Joe Biden about the announced “qualitatively new step”.

In Berlin in particular, it has long been pointed out that there is close coordination and joint action when it comes to arms deliveries to Ukraine.

Politicians from the FDP and the Greens were quick to welcome French President Emmanuel Macron's announcement that he would deliver AMX-10RC armed reconnaissance tanks to Ukraine.

They saw the advance as a signal to Germany to deliver tanks to Kyiv itself or to lead a joint delivery with the allies.

That seems to be happening now.

“Macron takes the lead.

The delivery of the reconnaissance tank provides significant support to Ukraine in the fight against the Russian aggressor.

Germany must now also play a leading role and initiate a joint decision by the partner nations to support Ukraine with the delivery of western-style tanks," said FDP defense politician Alexander Müller to the FAZ.

FPD sees fewer and fewer arguments against supplying tanks

Müller wants to deliver Marder or Leopard 1 for this, but also thinks a joint delivery of Leopard 2 tanks is right.

"The Leopard 1 battle tank and the Marder infantry fighting vehicle from industrial stocks are possible, as is the joint delivery of the Leopard 2 battle tank by the user nations," said the FDP politician.

The arbitrary division of weapon systems into categories that can be delivered must stop, as must the distinction between "Eastern" and "Western" designs.

The support for Macron in the FDP does not only come from Müller or the defense politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, who has long advocated making more powerful weapons available to Kyiv.

Rather, the assessment had also been heard elsewhere in the party that the arguments against a delivery of German Marder-type armored personnel carriers would disappear with the French initiative.

The line always followed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), that one does what the important partners do when it comes to arms deliveries, also applies now.

"The FDP will no longer say no to the delivery of Marder armored personnel carriers," the FAZ was told by party leadership circles.

So far, however, the smallest traffic light partner has shown a certain reluctance towards even heavier equipment.

Main battle tanks like the German Leopard can only be delivered "if everyone does it," said Germany's allies.

“We should provide Ukraine with what is feasible”

Macron's advance was also welcomed by the Greens.

Vice Chancellor and Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck, who is currently in Norway, said on Thursday: "Putin must not succeed, and Putin will not succeed.

We will not stop supplying arms to Ukraine.”

Referring to the French decision to supply wheeled light main battle tanks, and against a backdrop of similar readiness in America, Habeck added: "We will always tailor our supplies to battlefield needs."

Green Group security policy spokeswoman Sara Nanni said France's decision was a good one.

“We should provide Ukraine with what is feasible.

So also leopard and marten from industrial stocks," said the Green politician of the "Süddeutsche Zeitung".

Saskia Esken, co-chair of the SPD, also did not fundamentally rule out the delivery of battle tanks to RTL/ntv without going into detail: “The Chancellor is in close talks with special partners and friends and that will continue to be the case be.

And then we will make the appropriate decisions,” said Esken.

Ukraine had been supported with arms deliveries from the start.

"We will continue to do so in the future, for as long as it is necessary and also in accordance with military developments and the needs," said Esken.