Berlin agreed last week to send anti-aircraft tanks to Kyiv to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia’s invasion. They are expected to supply 50 Gepard (Cheetah) tanks which were decommissioned from the Bundeswehr — the German armed forces — several years ago.
Christine Lambrecht, Germany’s defence minister, announced the decision on Tuesday, April 26, saying: “We are determined to combine our efforts to help the Ukrainian people in this existential emergency.”
The move came after mounting pressure on Olaf Scholz’s government to fully support Ukraine.
Mr Scholz resisted previous calls to deliver weapons, claiming such a move may cause a direct military confrontation between NATO and Russia, leading to a nuclear war.
In a poll that ran from 10am on Wednesday, April 27 to 11am on Tuesday, May 3, Express.co.uk asked: “Is Germany doing enough to support Ukraine?”
A total of 1,206 people responded with the dozens of comments left below the accompanying article.
The dominant response – winning by a landslide of 97 percent (1,173 people) – was “no”, Germany is not doing enough to support Ukraine.
A further three percent (30 people) said “yes” and just three people said they did not know either way.
Many readers shared the view that Germany was not doing enough to support Ukraine.
One user, NicaGordon said: “No, Germany is not doing near enough.”
Another username South9 said: “They’re doing nowhere near enough.”
In March, Germany changed its stance on exporting weapons to conflict zones, reversing decades of German defence policy.
But the latest weapons sent to Ukraine could be useless for five months while military training is completed, according to military experts.
Markus Richter, staff sergeant of the reserve in the German army and commander of a Gepard, told Politico he was “surprised that the government chose to deliver such a highly complex weapon system”.
And username WeDidntStartTheFire said: “It’s been months and only now they send equipment and it’s pretty much useless.”
And username Sidenada said: “Germany is protecting its economy. They don’t want to upset Putin in case he turns off their gas.
“They hope the war will be over soon and they can take up where they left off before Putin invaded Ukraine.”
Germany also approved a resolution on “comprehensive support for Ukraine” last week with the Bundestag calling for the Government “to enhance the delivery of heavy weapons and complex systems” to Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the decision and support from Berlin, which Kyiv had previously accused of being reluctant to offer support.