DThe fact that Poland wants to force other countries to act on the tank issue, as the government spokesman says, is a bit brashly put. No sovereign government in Europe has to bend to the will of another. Nobody knows this better than the PiS, which itself likes to veto requests from partners.
But, of course, Poland’s willingness to supply Ukraine with Leopards increases the pressure in the political cauldron. In Germany, where the strategic argument has been mixed with the moral since the beginning of the war, this is already having an effect.
Pacifist resistance dwindles
Habeck doesn’t want to stand in the way of a Polish delivery, and Mützenich can no longer even see red lines. In the past, he used to be happy to pull this out of his party on military issues, which is why the chancellor’s office now knows that the resistance of the remaining pacifists in the SPD to a change of course should be limited.
However, an alliance with Poland will not be enough for Scholz. Above all, he wants an agreement with America, because Western supremacy would matter if Putin were foolish enough to extend the war to NATO.
So far, the chancellor has been careful to deliver weapons comparable to those Biden was sending to Ukraine. As long as the President remains reluctant to deliver Abrams tanks, this approach cannot be continued. Scholz must decide whether Germany takes the risk.
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