Three German government politicians in Ukraine see with their own eyes what the lack of arms supplies means and how overwhelming the Russian superiority is. What consequences do they draw from this? (translation in comments)

5 comments

1. *Translation*

   # “The Ukrainians are hoping that we will exert pressure in Germany”

   **Three German government (SPD/Green/FDP) politicians in Ukraine see with their own eyes what the lack of arms supplies means and how overwhelming the Russian superiority is. What consequences do they draw from this?**

   An abandoned farm somewhere in the vastness of Ukraine. All around, the rape shines, fruit trees rustle in the wind, a stork circles in the sky. An idyllic country scene, but one that the three members of the Bundestag, Andreas Schwarz, Sebastian Schäfer and Karsten Klein, cannot see. They are looking up at the launchers of the Iris-T air defense system that Germany has handed over to Ukraine to protect it from Russian fire.

   “A tragedy,” says Social Democrat Schwarz.

   There is space for eight guided missiles on the launch pad. But this one is only equipped with one. There are no more missiles today, the supply from Germany is faltering.

   The Green politician Schäfer shakes his head. The soldiers of the Ukrainian Iris-T unit have just presented him with their impressive statistics: every shot against incoming cruise missiles hit its target. Hit rate: 100 percent. But the Russians are now firing more projectiles than the Ukrainians have defensive missiles. Moscow is drawing on its reserves, while Kyiv has to economize.

   “The Ukrainians have an almost perfect defense system,” says Schäfer, “but they can hardly use it because they don’t have the missiles.”

   ## Great expectations

   Schwarz, Schäfer and FDP member Klein have traveled to Ukraine to get an idea of the benefits of German military aid. So far, Berlin has supplied Kyiv with military equipment worth around 10.2 billion euros. The three budget politicians are the rapporteurs of their parliamentary groups for the budget of the Ministry of Defense. Armaments costing more than 25 million euros must be approved by the Bundestag. There is no way around Schwarz, Schäfer and Klein.

   In the new era proclaimed by the Chancellor, the trio in the traffic light coalition has become an unexpected power factor. The Ukrainian government is obviously aware of this, as the program of the five-day trip suggests: Schwarz, Schäfer and Klein meet high-ranking politicians and military officials, they are given an insight into the local arms industry and asked for weapons. They are to pass these on to German manufacturers and the German government. They should also send greetings to the Chancellor: the Ukrainians have not yet given up hope of the Taurus cruise missile.

   “Our interlocutors know that we belong to the governing parties,” says Klein. “They hope that we will exert pressure at home to improve the supply of materials.” Expectations of the Germans are high.

   Germany is doing a lot for Ukraine, the MPs hear in every conversation. But is it doing enough? There are doubts, even in the small German delegation.

   ## Defiance and rubble

   Their route takes them to a coal-fired power plant in western Ukraine. Or rather, to what is left of the power plant after several air raids. The outer wall lies in ruins, charred machines stand in the factory hall, braised cables snake through rubble and splinters. But in between: People at work.

   They proudly tell the MPs that this is the “energy front”. Some repair the attack damage as best they can, while others continue to produce electricity. Until the next wave of missiles, which everyone here knows is imminent. Because the army doesn’t have enough ammunition to protect the country’s energy infrastructure from the increasing number of Russian air strikes.

   Social Democrat Schwarz looks out from a crumbling gallery onto the sooty backdrop of the end times. He sounds a little ashamed when he says: “If the Ukrainians manage to keep repairing shelled power plants, then we must also be able to ramp up missile production.” Schwarz promises to take care of this.

   ## “This is not a state of affairs”

   At home in Germany, the Bavarian wants to speak to arms companies. “This is not a state of affairs,” he complains. “Air defense must have top priority – for Ukraine and also for the Bundeswehr. The industry must ramp up its production capacities quickly and comprehensively,” he demands. With sentences like these, Schwarz must be prepared for critical text messages from his party colleagues. He is quite alone in the SPD with his loud calls for Kyiv to receive more German weapons.

   Ukraine’s air defense does not only consist of Iris T. But the three long-range Iris T-SLM systems supplied by Germany to date are of existential importance to many in the country. The news of the fire at a Berlin site of the manufacturing company Diehl caused great concern in Kyiv government circles on Friday. Ukrainian news sites are asking the anxious question of whether the delivery of further systems and missiles is now at risk. The traffic-light dealers are asked for information by their interlocutors. In Germany, Diehl hastens to say that the company’s armaments division is not affected by the fire. In Kyiv, however, there is no relief on this Friday.

   It had been quiet for a few days, but now the sirens are wailing again. When the sirens go off, Schwarz, Schäfer and Klein are sitting with members of the Ukrainian General Staff. The alarm app calls for them to go to an air-raid shelter, but the military are unmoved. The conversation with the Germans obviously takes precedence.

   ## Too few personnel, too little material

   The generals list the weak points of German war equipment. After all, their country is also a huge testing ground for international armaments. They also list how many tanks, air defense systems and artillery ammunition the Ukrainian army needs to withstand the new Russian offensive. The figures are not to be made public, but this much can be said: in comparison, the planned deliveries from the West look paltry. The conversation leaves the MPs feeling uneasy.

   “We are here to get a realistic picture of the situation, which we now have,” says Schäfer. “The Ukrainians urgently need more ammunition and weapons, they need a perspective in this war,” says the Green.

   Schäfer and Schwarz last visited in August last year. In their talks with the military at the time, it emerged that the Ukrainians lacked spare parts for the tanks and howitzers they had received. And instructions that could help them to repair damage themselves. Back in Germany, they insisted that the industry and the Ministry of Defense remedy the situation quickly. And? Did they achieve anything?

   —

   *part 2 in reply to this comment*

2. Fingers crossed for speedy response 🤞🏻

3. Not with Lappen Olaf, sending Taurus would have an Impact

4. Moscow Mike needs to spend about six months in Ukraine. See with his own eyes the damage he’s done to one of our allies.

5. Why do people have to actually see with their own eyes before they believe what’s really happening. Why does it take this amount of perspective before they ‘get it’. My own personal opinion is this should have been a smack down from day one. The longer this goes on, the more gets destroyed. The more lives lost. FFS just give Ukraine the firepower.