Scholz defends sending Leopards to fight Russian imperialism

Western leaders have welcomed Germany’s decision to send Leopard-2 tanks to the Ukraine after Olaf Scholz confirmed the momentous move in the Bundestag.

Scholz finally buckled to intense pressure from NATO partners to send the tanks and allow other countries to send theirs, following Washington’s pledge of 31 M1 Abrams tanks.

The Elysée expressed its approval of the move, while Rishi Sunak called it the “right decision”.

Speaking from Kyiv, where citizens have taken to wearing leopard-print clothing, President Zelensky – who turned 45 today – said he was “sincerely grateful to the Chancellor and all our friends in Germany”.

The show of Western unity is a big blow for Moscow which reacted angrily to Scholz’s announcement. Russia’s Ambassador to Germany, Sergei Nechaev, said the decision was “extremely dangerous,” and took the conflict “to a new level of confrontation.”

The impact won’t be felt immediately. Some of the tanks being offered are in poor condition and it will take time to make them battle-ready. Ukrainian troops also need to be trained to use them. One of the US’s main arguments against sending the Abrams – besides the fact there were already hundreds of serviceable tanks on European soil – was that Ukrainian troops wouldn’t have the equipment or know-how to keep them running.

Still, the German change of heart could prove a critical turning point as Ukraine faces down a fresh Russian offensive in the spring.

The Poles in particular feel vindicated. For months, Poland has been playing hard-ball with Berlin behind the scenes and increasingly in public, threatening to send German-made Leopards without the approval of Berlin, which wields an export veto.

The reaction in Poland to Scholz’s decision was of a job well done. “We are glad that our arguments and our common allies convinced the German government to change its mind,” said government spokesman Piotr Muller.

Poland sees the conflict in existential terms, and Ukraine’s war as Europe’s war. It is the only country to have so far put in a request to re-export its Leopards to Ukraine, although Sweden, Finland, Spain, Norway and the Netherlands have all signalled a willingness to do so.

Moscow’s comments, however, play into Scholz’s long-held reluctance on tanks. In his speech today, Scholz tried to allay the fears of nervous German citizens – and possibly his own. “We need to make it clear we will do anything necessary to support Ukraine,” he said. “But at the same time, we want to avoid an escalation of this war so that it doesn’t become a war between Russia and NATO.

“To the German public who are concerned about the weapons deliveries – trust me, we will ensure that the risks for our country don’t grow in the wrong direction and that is because we stick to the principle of taking these steps in cooperation with partners.”

One MP accused Scholz of overthrowing the principles of post-war German politics, calling the decision “imperialism”. Scholz rejected this, saying “Russian imperialism” was why the country was supporting Ukraine.

The odds of Scholz relenting on fighter jets – which have also been requested by Zelensky – look slim while this debate in Germany rumbles on. Still, for now at least, Ukraine has what it wants.

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