According to the Greens parliamentary group in the Bundestag, they knew nothing of a NATO agreement not to supply battle tanks to Ukraine for the time being. The corresponding statement by Lambrecht’s parliamentary state secretary caused a stir on Tuesday evening.
The debate about possible deliveries of armored personnel carriers and battle tanks from Germany to Ukraine is causing increasing disputes among the traffic light groups in the Bundestag. The defense policy spokeswoman for the Green Group, Sara Nanni, has now sharply criticized Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht’s (SPD) communication. “We were surprised and irritated that the NATO partners should have agreed not to supply Ukraine with armored personnel carriers and battle tanks,” said Hanni in an interview with the news portal t-online. “As a traffic light, we often have the opportunity to speak to Defense Minister Lambrecht personally and she has never said that there was such an agreement.” According to the Green politician, this is also “uncomfortable” for the armaments companies who apparently also knew nothing about formal decisions at NATO level.
Siemtje Möller, State Secretary in the Defense Ministry, explained on Sunday in the ZDF program “Berlin direkt” that there was such an agreement within NATO.
Read more about it here: PUSH – Siemtje Möller – Explosive tank statement by Lambrecht’s State Secretary causes a stir
“We have been told again and again – also by the Federal Chancellor – that the other NATO partners would not supply any tanks either. But if there was actually a political agreement, that would be something completely different,” Hanni told t-online. “That’s why I was surprised by Ms. Möller’s statements and we made a formal request to the Ministry of Defense.”
The SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag shows little understanding for the excitement. “There can be no talk of delaying tactics at all. The agreement in our alliances is: we will not deliver any Western-style main battle tanks to Ukraine without prior agreement,” said Defense Policy Spokesman Wolfgang Hellmich. “The federal government and its partners are sticking to this.”
