The federal government is under pressure from many quarters to also supply battle tanks to Ukraine. What does the Federal President actually say about the attitude of the traffic light?
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier believes that the government’s cautious approach to the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine is correct.
“Of course, every responsible politician must also address the question of when and under what circumstances the conflict could escalate dramatically. That needs to be weighed up, along with an assessment of the consequences of the price of a lack of support,” Steinmeier told Wirtschaftswoche “. At the same time, Steinmeier emphasized that Germany was supporting Ukraine “to the best of its ability, including militarily, substantially and permanently.” Among other things, he referred to Gepard anti-aircraft tanks and the recently decided delivery of Marder armored personnel carriers.
On the question of whether there is a limit with regard to further arms deliveries that the Federal Republic should not cross, Steinmeier said: “If there were these limits, it would not be wise to talk about them.” The federal government is under pressure from many quarters to also supply battle tanks to Ukraine.
“Bundeswehr must prepare for harder times”
Steinmeier also commented on the situation of the German armed forces. “The Bundeswehr must prepare for tougher times. National defense and alliance obligations are given a completely different weight,” said the Federal President. “Now at the latest we see that we have to invest resolutely in our army in order to be able to guarantee security in uncertain times,” said the former head of the Chancellery and Foreign Minister.
Steinmeier was critical of German policy towards Russia before the attack on Ukraine. “It was a mistake not to have recognized early enough how fundamentally the Russian head of state Vladimir Putin has revised his view of the world and that he is risking the political, social and economic ruin of his country for his imperial goals. He has the West declared his enemy. And we have to draw our own conclusions from that,” said Steinmeier.
“New Phase of Globalization”
Steinmeier emphasized that lessons should also be learned from dealing with China from the mistakes made in dealing with Russia. Germany should “no longer be dependent on just one partner worldwide in sensitive areas,” warned the Federal President. Compared to Russia, the dependency on China is “many times greater and more complicated”: “Here it is important to win more partners, to diversify our suppliers and customers,” said Steinmeier of the “Wirtschaftswoche”. “Winning additional partners, also in Asia, does not mean the end of our relationship with China. It is a precautionary measure.”
In the interview, Steinmeier spoke of a “new phase of globalization”. You need a new philosophy for that. “Broader cooperation that includes more states and regions on an equal footing is more important than ever in this new globalization, but also more demanding than ever because the 21st century will be characterized by the multipolarity of many strong, self-confident nations. That means for our country : The more we network, the more successful we will be,” explained Steinmeier. At the same time he warned: “Foreclosure does not serve world peace, but endangers it. One does not generate prosperity with isolation.”
Source: Stern
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