In yesterday’s #Bundestag debate on 🇩🇪 #tanks (MBTs & IFVs) to 🇺🇦, @OlafScholz defended the indefensible. If he & his party #SPD spent more energy on supporting 🇺🇦 than on finding excuses, the war would look better for 🇺🇦.Let’s parse the excuses 🧵 1/7 politico.eu/article/german…
‘WW3 looming’: it should by now be abundantly clear that #Putin doesn’t need Leopard MBT & Marder IFV deliveries to 🇺🇦 to escalate the war. And, honestly, if we adapt our behaviour after every nuclear threat from the #Kremlin, we should get the white flag ready ASAP. 2/7
‘Coordination w allies; 🇺🇸 also don’t deliver tanks’: 🇺🇸 repeatedly clarified 🇩🇪 should do more & nothing wrong w 🇩🇪 tanks to 🇺🇦. 🇪🇸 wanted to deliver #Leopard2 & was prevented by 🇩🇪. I could imagine no better proof of 🇩🇪 leadership than this project: 3/7 ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/357…
‘🇺🇦 training takes too long’: this is becoming tragicomic, like the 4 stage strategy in ‘Yes, Minister’ (below). If Scholz had approved 88 Leo1 & 100 Marder nearly ready for delivery in May, they would be on the battlefield now. 4/7
Really, 🇺🇦 flexibility & speed, also in handling complex weapons systems, has been notoriously underestimated in 🇩🇪. The #Ringtausch w 🇸🇮, 🇬🇷 & others is a joke. BMP1 are death traps and soon there won’t be any T-72 left so Western systems are needed anyway. Better start asap 5/7
‘Bundeswehr combat readiness jeopardised’: what readiness?? 🥴 - besides, a tank in 🇺🇦 does more for our security from 🇷🇺 than in some Bundeswehr base. Plus, Leo1 MBT & Marder IFV are in depots, not active duty anyway. 6/7
So in yesterday’s Bundestag debate, Scholz managed to kick the can down the road once more. But in a few weeks, he may well forced to move, otherwise there will be a (for him) humiliating majority of #CDUCSU, #Greens & #FDP in favour of delivering. Late, but better than never.7/7
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