With the Russian invasion of Ukraine fast approaching 2 months, efforts to fend off Vladimir Putin’s army have come at a high humanitarian and economic cost to Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelensky has on multiple occasions reached out to world leaders begging for arms supplies, and has once again called on Germany to supply much-needed tanks to fight Russia’s advances to the east.
With Ukraine keen on German Marder infantry fighting vehicles (IFV), pressure is on the German Chancellor to help out.
Calls are even mounting from within Mr Scholz’s own coalition to supply Ukraine with the much needed heavy equipment, in fact, 100 units from their arsenal.
However, the German Defence Attaché to the UK, Brigadier General Michael Oberneyer has pointed the finger at Britain when it comes to supplying the equipment.
He said: “Everybody is focussed on Marder but what about the British Warrior or French AMX?”
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But Ukrainian demands have focused on the German Marders, which Mr Scholz’s administration claims it cannot spare.
Andrij Melnyk, the Ukrainian ambassador to German, said: “The claim the Bundeswehr is no longer able to deliver anything to Ukraine is incomprehensible.”
Mr Melnynk alleged Germany had 400 Marders, 100 of which were used only for training and could easily be sent to Ukraine.
Adding to the reasons not to send the equipment, the German defence attaché in London said: “Marder has recently been upgraded as it is old and difficult to support with spare parts.
“We need to use some Marder as spare parts to keep a certain number operational.
“We need to train our own forces on Marder. If we delivered 25 to Ukraine we would not be able to train our own soldiers.
“If we were to hand over our systems to Ukraine and wait for the defence industry to supply equipment it would create a gap which is not acceptable with our obligation to NATO.”
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Yet Britain has already stepped to the mark when it comes to supplying weapons to Ukraine.
In fact, the UK has already provided some £350m worth of military equipment to the war-torn country, with a pledge of £100m more.
Items sent to Ukraine from the UK include Javelin anti-tank missiles and Starstreak air defence systems.
With Germany stating it has handed Ukraine everything it can, President Zelensky slammed Berlin on Wednesday over the claim.
He said: “It is unfair Ukraine is still forced to ask for what its partners have been storing somewhere for years.”
Within the Federal Republic, Mr Scholz is facing a backlash over the affair.
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Backbench MP’s in his coalition have stated Mr Scholz risks starting WW3 over his refusal to place an embargo on Russian energy supplies, as well as his lack of ambition when it comes to sending weapons to Ukraine.
Anton Hofreiter of the Greens said: “We are slowing down the sanctions and arms deliveries, and there is a risk the war will drag ever longer.
“The longer the war drags on, the greater the risk other countries will be attacked and we will slide into a de facto Third World War.
Other nations have stepped up when it comes to helping Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden recently promised a further £612m ($800m) towards military supplies to Ukraine, including Howitzer cannons and Mi-17 helicopters, ironically, which are Russian made.
For France, with the country embroiled in what is believed to be one of the closest Presidential election races in recent times, the focus has shifted away from Ukraine as the country prepares to attend ballot boxes on Sunday, April 24.
For Ukraine, full attention now aims at the eastern front after Russia escalated its attack on the Donbas region, aiming to build a land bridge between the motherland and the already annexed Crimean Peninsula.