Germany to deliver Marder combat vehicles to Ukraine after mounting pressure

Germany to deliver Marder combat vehicles to Ukraine after mounting pressure | INFBusiness.com

The government has made a U-turn on support for Ukraine and green-lit the delivery of Marder combat vehicles and patriot systems to the war torn-country after months of hesitation, the government said on Thursday.

This announcement comes after France announced it would deliver light tanks to Ukraine on Wednesday, ramping up the pressure on Germany to do the same.

After a call with US President Joe Biden, the government announced it would deliver the infantry fighting vehicle Marder alongside the US’ delivery of Bradleys. Furthermore, Germany will also deliver a patriot anti-air missiles battery to help Ukraine fend off Russian drone strikes.

“This is a good decision. Since the beginning of the war, we have increasingly expanded our support in cooperation with our partners. It is logical that we also take this step. Ukraine has the right to defend itself against the Russian attack, and we must help it do so,” German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said in a statement.

Germany will deliver the Marder infantry fighting vehicles from stockpiles of its arms industry. The armoured vehicle has been on the Ukrainian wish list since April, and Kyiv has become increasingly frustrated with Germany’s refusal to deliver them, with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba calling the hesitation a “disappointment”.

“Not a single rational argument on why these weapons can not be supplied, only abstract fears and excuses. What is Berlin afraid of that Kyiv is not?” he tweeted in September.

Around 100 decommissioned Marder are at the moment parked in factory halls of weapon producers and could be restored within a couple of weeks.

The weapons producer Rheinmetall had already started to restore several Marder infantry fighting vehicles from old Bundeswehr stocks and would be able to deliver them immediately.

Germany has so far opposed the delivery of tanks and other heavy weaponry to the war-torn country, arguing that it would only do so in coordination with its allies and would not go it alone. However, after France announced yesterday to deliver light tanks to Ukraine, the pressure was mounting on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to follow suit.

“The argument constantly advanced by the Federal Chancellery that Germany must not go it alone is absolutely passé,” said Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Chairwoman of the Defence Committee in the Bundestag and member of the governing FDP told AFP.

“France is once again taking on the role expected of Germany and is itself leading the way,” Strack-Zimmermann continued.

(Oliver Noyan | EURACTIV.de)

Source: euractiv.com

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