The United States is hosting a conference in Ukraine, Germany. Although it is not officially NATO, representatives of at least 20 allies will attend. With the summit, the United States wants to strengthen cooperation between the US military and European forces, but according to German correspondent Derk Marseille, the summit is aimed at increasing pressure on the German government to supply heavy weapons to Ukraine.
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US pressure on Germany
The conference will be held at the US Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany, one of the largest U.S. military airports in the world and the headquarters of the US Air Force in Europe. According to Marseille, the agenda is described as ‘a little wool’. “As far as the United States is concerned, the main thing is to start discussions with like-minded people on how to maintain long-term security relations with Ukraine.” Marseille thinks the summit is only to discuss strategy with like-minded people about the current war in Ukraine.
The summit will deal with the modernization of the US military and European armies and their deployment. The ‘possibility’ of German arms manufacturers is on the agenda and how to make the best use of it. “You notice that this conference is really being used to increase pressure on the German government to supply heavy weapons to Ukraine.”
In that sense this place is amazing too. Marseille points out that the Americans and the French founded Rammstein to defend Germany after World War II. The airfield played an important role in the Cold War. Earlier this week, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited Kiev to hold talks with Ukrainian President Zhelensky.
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CDU
In the German bandh, the opposition has now called on Angela Merkel’s party, the CDU, to provide heavy weapons to Ukraine. Although the government has not officially taken this into account, Marseille thinks it is further complicating the situation for President Olaf Scholes. “In general, the opposition in Germany, they do not have much to say, but the extra budget comes with a 100 billion defense budget.” According to him, with such an important decision, it is customary to include the CDU in the decision-making process in this case, the largest opposition party in Germany.
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Party lines
Despite the declining popularity of Scholz and increasing pressure, Marseille did not expect the Chancellor to change his position on arms supplies to Ukraine. “Sholes will not be blind because he has been trying to think for a long time and has now taken a very principled position.” The president’s proverb is that the supply of heavy weapons makes Germany a potential target for Russia.
However, there are rumors in the German media that the government will do more for Ukraine. For example, the Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that Germany would supply anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine. German Defense Minister Kristin Lambrecht will make the pledge during a meeting at the Rammstein Air Force Base.
Meanwhile, Green Party vice-chancellor Robert Hebeck said this weekend that Germany should have provided military assistance to Ukraine several years ago, but that divisions within the government were “party-based”. “The Greens have been saying this for years and the SPD continues to oppose its position.”
Within Scholz’s party there is now a lot to do about the post of party icon and former superintendent Gerhard Schroder, who in recent years has been known mainly as a close friend of Russian President Putin and is now making his money in the big Russian energy companies. . As he continues to support Russia, his party members may be ousted. Schrder gave an interview this weekend for the first time in a long time. The former president fought remarkably well against The New York Times. “I did not gulpa.”