Leopard II battle tank is pictured in action at the Oberlausitz training area in Weisskeissel. Source: Reuters
After weeks of hesitation, Germany’s parliament agreed on sending “heavy weapons and complex systems” to Ukraine.
The three parties in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition and the largest opposition group — which combined hold over 80% of the seats in the lower house of parliament — teamed up to support a motion in a show of broad-based solidarity for Ukraine.
In the rare collaboration, the measure was passed on Thursday with 586 out of 693 votes. Only far-right and far-left parties not back the plan. The motion also calls for an end to imports of Russian oil and gas and criticized China over its support for Moscow.
Entitled “Defend peace and freedom in Europe – comprehensive support for Ukraine,” the Bundestag motion calls on the government to expand deliveries of “heavy weapons and complex systems,” which could partly be supplied via swap deals with NATO partners. Under the proposed mechanism, countries could deliver Soviet-model gear to Ukraine for immediate deployment and Germany would replace them with more modern weapons.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Wednesday listed equipment she said Germany has already delivered to Ukraine. This included thousands of anti-tank rocket launchers, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, Strela surface-to-air missiles, anti-tank mines, machine guns, hand grenades and ammunition in the double-digit millions.
Earlier, on April 22, French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with Ouest-France that France would supply Ukraine with several CAESAR self-propelled howitzers.
For its part, the U.S. has already increased arms deliveries to Ukraine several times over, including modern models and heavy equipment. Thousands of NATO soldiers are already fighting on the fronts in Ukraine in the guise of mercenaries.
A nuclear winter is coming…
