Germany made a huge step forward from the position it had before February 24
What’s happening to the Germans is a complicated story. It cannot be easily explained and accepted. It dates back to World War II. Post-war Germany - of which the GDR is a part - raised generations of people on the thesis of pacifism, and psychologically does not perceive tanks as something that can be given to someone and attack Russia again. After all, Russia continues to be associated with the USSR in the minds of many Germans. That is, it is a psychological phenomenon.
In addition, if we talk about the German government, in the same way, Moscow has hammered into their heads (and quite successfully) that Germany owes the USSR, read Russia, for generations. The fact that Germany plundered Ukraine and Belarus, which were destroyed twice, first from west to east, then from east to west, somehow slipped out of the understanding of many German politicians into historical darkness. They don't remember it. And they remember that they are guilty in front of Moscow. This psychological factor is especially strong among social democratic politicians who took more center-left positions than the CDU-CSU or the Free Democrats.
And let's not forget that Moscow has been successfully creating a pro-Moscow 5th column both among the political class and among business for the past 30 years. German businessmen who worked and want to work with future Russia have not gone anywhere. They do not yet know that this Russia will not exist, but they still think: the war will end, Putin will be driven off somewhere, someone else will be installed, and we will return and earn our billions.
So we have to be balanced
That’s why the pressure on the German government is enormous. We just don't read about it and don't know about it. This pressure also affects the position of this government.
You can go against everyone, but only for a brief period of time – when there are arguments against it. When there are no arguments, believe me, Chancellor Olaf Scholz will very quickly make decisions that will benefit Ukraine.
Germany made a huge step forward from the position it held before February 24: from the supply of helmets to the supply of the modern weapon. In fact, only tanks remained. Everything else is already with us and is in good quantity, and we have Germany to thank for that. Germans play a huge role in the economic support of Ukraine. This, too, cannot be discounted. Half of our budget is covered by international economic programs and projects.
So we have to be balanced and understand that there are certain circumstances that do not allow us to move too fast. But if you compare with what was and what is, for the Germans this is light speed. So let's wait a little and everything will be fine.
The other day, the German tabloid Spiegel reported that German intelligence reported to German MPs about the difficult situation on the front near Bakhmut. According to the publication, during this week's secret briefing, it was discussed about the heavy losses of the Ukrainian side - about "three-digit numbers of dead per day". This information is an attempt to feed those in German society who say that if the war ends quickly, then there will not be these terrible casualties, the number of which exceeds the limits of common sense. This is a game in favor of the government, which is still hesitant about supply.
But look: there is information that the Germans can supply us with 19 Leopard tanks. The question is, of course, when, but beyond that: there are currently over 2,000 such tanks in Europe. If 10% of this number will be in the Armed Forces, it would be a huge plus. So Germany can easily provide its 10%. If everyone else does it, we could solve this issue.
Read also: Western leaders, diplomats praise Germany’s decision to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine
All the statements that have been made in recent days by military and political leaders in the West that, they say, the next weeks or months of the war will be critical/decisive, these are their statements. The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, believes that it will be difficult for the defenders of Ukraine to force the Russian invaders out of every centimeter of Ukrainian territory by military m Eans in 2023. But Jens Stoltenberg made another statement. General Ben Hodges made a statement that the liberation of Crimea could be possible by the end of the summer.
This is normal. Here we should listen not to the forecasts of our Western partners, but to our general Valery Zaluzhny. He perfectly calculates everything that needs to be done and how it needs to be done. Zaluzhny has repeatedly refuted any forecasts of any theoretical analysts, who, as we know, predicted many things for the reality of hostilities. Thank God that their predictions stayed on their consciences and demonstrated their inability to consider many other factors. And the main factor that we have is our desire to win, for freedom, and this worth much more than self-propelled guns or tanks.
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