Germany’s hesitation to join other NATO members in delivering weaponry to Ukraine has annoyed some of the allies, raising questions about Berlin’s willingness to stand up to Russia.
Following reports that Berlin had gone so far as to prevent Estonia from delivering ancient German howitzers to Kyiv to assist defend itself against Russian forces massing along the Ukrainian border, the topic resurfaced over the weekend.
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said on Twitter that Germany’s stance on military sales “does not correspond to the level of our relations and the current security situation.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, while speaking to media in Berlin on Monday, denied that a decision on the howitzers had been made, insisting that his country stands with its NATO and European Union allies in opposing any Russian aggression into Ukraine.
“If this situation arises, we will act together,” he told reporters. “It would come at a heavy cost.”
While Germany would continue to assist Ukraine, he noted that there would be one exception: “We do not give any lethal weaponry.”
That approach, which has been chastised in Kyiv and — less loudly — in Washington and London, has alarmed some Germans, who fear that their country will no longer be seen as a trusted ally.
“How many in Berlin understand how our muddled Ukraine policy damages not just Germany, but the entire European Union?” Wolfgang Ischinger, Germany’s former ambassador to the United States and currently the director of the biennial Munich Security Conference, was posed this question.
Germany’s viewpoint, according to experts, is founded in the country’s ignominious history of aggression during the twentieth century.
“The obvious legacy of Germany’s own militarization in Europe during two world wars has led many German leaders to regard any military response as a last resort,” said Rachel Ellehuus, deputy director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Europe, Russia, and Eurasia programme in Washington.
She believes that attitude could backfire. “The present administration appears to be unaware that supplying defensive weapons to Ukraine could really deter further Russian aggression.”
While Germany has previously emphasised its stringent stance on arms shipments to conflict zones, critics claim that the regulation has not been consistently followed.
“There have always been questionable cases here,” Sabine Fischer, a senior Russia expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said. “For example, the Kosovo war or backing for the Kurds against IS in Syria.”
The discussion about German armaments erupted just days after the head of the German navy resigned in the face of domestic and international criticism for comments he made about Ukraine and Russia. Vice Admiral Kay-Achim Schoenbach, speaking at an event in India on Friday, said it was critical to have Russia on the same side against China, and that Russian President Vladimir Putin deserved “respect.”
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