BERLIN
Berlin’s dramatic decision this week to send Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine amid pressure from Kyiv and some Western allies has sparked mixed reactions among the German public.
Lydia Stratmann, a retired teacher, said she’s concerned that the decision could increase the risk of a wider military conflict.
“I rather like the restrained policy of Chancellor Scholz, but I wish that he had explained this (move) better and more. He was very silent,” she told Anadolu.
“In this respect, I’m not happy with the German government at the moment. They have to explain (things) better so that people can understand, why he waited up to now,” she added, referring to longstanding complaints by some that Germany was too slow to send heavy arms.
Stratmann said despite the risks, Germany has to continue providing support to Ukraine, to help them defend their country.
After months of pressure from the US and other allies, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government decided on Wednesday to deliver Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine.
Scholz had long resisted calls to send heavy weapons and battle tanks to Ukraine, arguing that the war should not escalate into a conflict between Russia and NATO.
On Wednesday, Scholz said the decision to send battle tanks was taken in close coordination with Germany’s international and European partners.
“I am afraid in general that Europe could be drawn into a war, it’s already a great threat to Europe,” said Wolfgang, a Berlin resident who only gave his first name.
He said it was not clear yet what conditions led German politicians to send the Leopards to Ukraine, and what information they had from diplomatic channels.
But he expressed concern that this decision could lead to an escalation, a panicked reaction from Russia, and a wider military conflict in Europe.
‘What will Ukraine ask for next?’
According to Berlin, the country will deliver 14 Leopard 2 battle tanks, train Ukrainian troops to use the tanks, and also provide licenses to other European countries that wish to supply Leopards from their own stock.
Russia sharply criticized Germany’s decision, and a senior Russian diplomat warned of an escalation in the Ukraine war.
"This extremely dangerous decision takes the conflict to a new level of confrontation and contradicts the statements of German politicians about Germany's unwillingness to be drawn into it,” Sergey Nechayev, Russia’s ambassador in Berlin, said in a statement.
A Kremlin spokesman Thursday said Russia sees sending tanks and other heavy weapons as “direct involvement” by Western countries in the conflict.
A 50-year-old who declined to give his name blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the war but also said Germany’s delivery of Leopard battle tanks would only add fuel to the fire.
“Germany pledged these battle tanks, and now the Ukrainian government is asking for warplanes. What will they ask for next? Such excessive demands are unacceptable,” he said.
The man, a resident of the central German city of Kassel, argued that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also made serious mistakes.
“In my opinion, this war could have been prevented if the Ukrainian president had packed his bags and left the country. This could have eased the tension with Russia, and prevented the death of so many people,” he said.
Recent public polls show that Germans are divided over the delivery of heavy weapons and Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine.
According to a poll by Forsa, 53% of Germans support the government’s decision to supply the tanks, while 39% oppose it.
Some 41% of those polled said they believe the delivery of battle tanks by Western countries will enable Ukraine to win the war, and push Russian troops out of the occupied territories.
Nicole, who is now living in a homeless shelter in Berlin, told Anadolu that she can understand the pain and suffering of the Ukrainians, and supports the government’s decision.
“In that country there’s war, people lost everything, their work, their homes,” she said.
“They have no heating, nor any other way (to stay warm). I don’t understand why politicians had to discuss things for so long. The people there, they need help.”
