CDU leader Friedrich Merz has accused the federal government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) of deliberately delaying arms deliveries to Ukraine. “There are obviously delaying strategies in the federal government, at least one delaying tactic,” said Merz on Tuesday evening on the “RTL Direkt” program. He referred to public complaints from defense contractors that they were not being granted export licenses for tanks.
“Here the cards are not played openly,” criticized Merz. “There can be reasons not to say everything, but then the Chancellor should also express it.” His “buzzing about the topics” is not appropriate to the matter.
Referring to Scholz’s warnings of an escalation in the Ukraine war, Merz said: “The Chancellor has gotten used to a rhetoric that does not match what he claims to do with us.” The CDU leader recalled the cross-party Resolution of the Bundestag, which advocates the supply of heavy weapons to Ukraine to help the country defend against the Russian attack on the country.
However, Scholz speaks less of this, criticized Merz. Instead, he constantly talks about a risk of escalation. “There is a risk of escalation if we don’t help Ukraine,” warned the CDU leader. Russian President Vladimir Putin will continue his aggressive policies “if we don’t stop him.”
The CDU foreign policy expert Jürgen Hardt told the broadcaster RBB that he currently sees no way of ending the Ukraine war through diplomatic channels. Rather, a prerequisite for an end to the war is a strengthening of Ukraine.
