Report: NATO does not want to supply battle tanks to Ukraine

NATO members are said to have agreed not to deliver heavy tanks, fighter jets and other systems to Ukraine. And they give a good reason for that.

According to information from the German Press Agency, there are informal agreements among the NATO states to refrain from delivering certain weapon systems to Ukraine. As the dpa was confirmed in alliance circles in Brussels on Wednesday, the risk of a direct military confrontation between NATO states and Russia should be kept as low as possible.

There are fears, for example, that Russia could officially consider the delivery of Western battle tanks and combat aircraft as entering the war and then take military retaliatory measures. Weapon systems of this type have not yet been delivered to Ukraine.

Confusion according to State Secretary

In Germany, statements by the Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Defense, Siemtje Möller (SPD), had recently caused discussions. She said on Sunday in the ZDF program “Berlin direct” about arms deliveries that it was stated within NATO “that no armored personnel carriers or battle tanks of Western models were delivered”.

Union parliamentary group leader Johann Wadephul (CDU) then criticized on Wednesday that the federal government had not mentioned such an agreement during the deliberations in the Bundestag on the delivery of heavy weapons. “Either this is due to a scandalous incompetence coupled with sloppiness and ignorance. Or, and that would be a real scandal, the German Bundestag and the public are being led behind the spruce with ever new pseudo-justifications in order to camouflage a systematic delay strategy.” , he told the portal “Focus Online”. At the end of April, the Bundestag voted in favor of the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine in a joint application by the Union and Ampel.

SPD confirms NATO agreement

The SPD confirmed the existence of an informal agreement within NATO not to deliver any western-style heavy battle tanks or armored personnel carriers. “The Defense Committee was fully informed of this in mid-May,” emphasized the defense policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Wolfgang Hellmich, of the German Press Agency.

A NATO spokesman only commented on the subject in general on Wednesday. He pointed out that all delivery decisions are ultimately a matter for the individual member states. According to diplomats, they have so far adhered to informal agreements – also because otherwise they would have to fear that they would not receive the full support of their alliance partners in the event of a Russian attack. For this reason, Poland, for example, is said to have refrained from delivering MiG-29 fighter jets of Soviet design to Ukraine more than two months ago.

MiG-29 delivery “a high-risk scenario”

The commander-in-chief of the US armed forces in Europe, Tod D. Wolters, said in March that the transfer of MiG-29s could be misunderstood by Moscow’s intelligence services and could result in an escalation between Russia and NATO. This is a high-risk scenario, the four-star general said.

Agreements in the past have been indirectly confirmed by French President Emmanuel Macron, among others. In March, after a special summit of the heads of state and government of the NATO countries on the subject of arms deliveries, he said: “There is a limit, and that is not becoming a party to the war.” This border is shared by all Allies and that is why no one has yet delivered weapons such as airplanes.

CDU criticism: Violation of the Bundestag decision

The CDU politician Wadephul accused the federal government on Wednesday of violating the Bundestag decision to supply heavy weapons to Ukraine. “That’s not happening. In doing so, the federal government is violating a binding decision by parliament,” he criticized. “If things continue like this, there will be a committee of inquiry later!”

The federal government has so far publicly promised to deliver two types of heavy weapons to Ukraine: Gepard anti-aircraft tanks and Panzerhaubitzen 2000 (heavy artillery pieces). However, Ukraine is also demanding that Germany supply battle tanks and armored personnel carriers to defend against the Russian attackers. Armored personnel carriers are smaller and lighter than main battle tanks. The Bundeswehr has Leopard-type main battle tanks and Marder-type armored personnel carriers. The armaments group Rheinmetall has offered to deliver used examples of both models directly to Ukraine. Nothing is known about a formal decision by the federal government.

Future deliveries not excluded

NATO protects the federal government. “Germany has provided Ukraine with thousands of weapons, including anti-aircraft missiles and anti-tank missiles,” a spokesman said on Wednesday. In addition, the German decision to provide Ukraine with artillery weapons and anti-aircraft tanks is also welcomed.

Against this background, it was also emphasized in alliance circles that the risk analyzes for arms deliveries are constantly updated. Accordingly, it cannot be ruled out that at some point western battle tanks and fighter jets will also be delivered to Ukraine.