Opposition leader criticized Scholz for insufficient support for Ukraine

Scholz "lost precious time" in the issue of arms supplies to Ukraine and lost public confidence,says Friedrich Merz, leader of the opposition CDU party Friedrich Merz

Friedrich Merz, chairman of the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU), criticized German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's policy towards Ukraine in an interview with Bild. “What we are doing is not enough [to support Ukraine] anyway. At the same time, there is an open dispute in the federal government about what weapons Germany could supply to Ukraine,” he said.

According to Merz, Germany is increasingly being criticized abroad, while Scholz is "silent, only telling half the truth." The opposition leader believes that the chancellor "lost precious time" in the issue of arms supplies to Ukraine, Germany should have done it much earlier. As a result, said the chairman of the CDU, society in Germany and abroad quickly lost confidence in Scholz, the chancellor "is no longer perceived as a person with a strong and strategic mindset."

In the Bundestag, according to Mertz, the majority of deputies from the CDU, the Greens and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) are in favor of supplying heavy weapons to Ukraine. A minority of Scholz's Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), the Left and the Alternative for Germany have a different opinion, the CDU chairman said. “It is clear to us that if the federal chancellor does not initiate the delivery of heavy weapons by next week, then the decision will have to be made by parliament,” the politician added.

The Bundeswehr opposed the supply of heavy weapons to Ukraine Politics

Before the start of the Russian military operation, Germany refused to transfer weapons to Ukraine, but then changed its position. On February 26, Berlin decided to transfer 1,000 Panzerfaust anti-tank missiles and 500 Stinger missiles to Kyiv. In addition, the German authorities approved the transfer of 400 German-made anti-tank guns from the Netherlands and nine D-30 howitzers and ammunition from Estonia. Later, DPA, citing sources, reported that Germany had transferred to Ukraine 1,500 Strela portable anti-aircraft missile systems, 100 MG3 machine guns, and 8 million rounds of ammunition for firearms.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock said that Ukraine needs heavy weapons. In mid-April, FDP faction defense expert Markus Faber said that the ruling coalition in Germany (SPD, the Greens and the FDP) supported the decision to supply them to Kyiv. At the same time, Markus Laubenthal, Deputy Inspector General of the Bundeswehr, believes that the transfer of heavy weapons to Ukraine will affect Germany's combat capability as part of its obligations to NATO.

On April 20, a BLOOMBERG source in the German government said that Germany would not supply heavy weapons directly, but instead would transfer them to the countries of Eastern Europe, which are "ready to send Soviet-era equipment to Ukraine." As DPA wrote, under this scheme, Slovenia will transfer Soviet T-72 tanks to the Ukrainian side, and in return will receive Marder infantry fighting vehicles and Fuchs armored personnel carriers from Germany.

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