German Bundestag, Plenarprotokoll 20/87,
pp. 9673-9674.
Frau President.
I would have of course once very much wished if the title of
this current hour – “Leopard Blockade” – still had standing. That would have
been absolutely welcomed by the AfD delegation. That, I first of all need say.
Because I also have currently followed this debate. Herr Merz,
you have certainly spoken of some things: With you as Chancellor, we would have
already delivered combat aircraft.
Ulrich
Lechte (FDP): What then is that for a narrative, Herr Chrupalla?
Friedrich Merz (CDU/CSU): Do not speak such nonsense here!
Thus, for that reason: Your hypocrisy here in this place has
actually shown: You proceed in this war mongering exactly as do the FDP and the
Greens.
Friedrich Merz (CDU/CSU): Do not speak such nonsense! Wicked demagogue!
That is meanwhile the surrender [Aufgabe] of the largest opposition party in this country, Herr
Merz.
I need say to you: I empathize, we empathize with the local
Ukrainian people.
Friedrich Merz (CDU/CSU): Ja! That is noted! That is noted!
Since Kriegsangst –
that is the theme: Kriegsangst – the Germans
also feel here in our country. Yet will the immoderate and primarily egocentric
demands of some Ukrainian politicians, which now once again emit via Twitter to
more rapidly deliver ever more weapons, help, or will they in principle act
more as fire accelerators? Can the Ukraine in general win? Is the application
of the means in proportion to the result? Which strategy does the Federal
government actually pursue? In regards the questioning of Herr Scholz today,
that also remains open.
Saskia Esken (SPD): Had you listened, Herr Chrupalla!
Do you actually want to provoke the collapse of the
alliance? It meanwhile appears thus to many in the German populace who have
ever more angst of it.
Permit me the question: Where actually remain the weapons
which we and other countries have already delivered? Are they still in use in
the Ukraine or have the Russians long since destroyed these?
Jürgen Coße (SPD): Go there for once and take a peek!
And that has not been answered. You here suggest to the
citizens
Jürgen Coße (SPD): Go there for once!
that, with delivery of Leopard combat panzers, Russia can be
defeated. How many panzers then do you want to collect worldwide so as to
attain or exceed the equipment strength of the Russian army? According to
statistics, Russia has at its disposal over approximately 12,500 combat
panzers,
Wolfgang Kubicki (FDP): Yet most of which are kaputt!
the Ukraine on the other hand over approximately 2,600. The
Ukrainian army thereby presently has nine times as many combat panzers at its
disposal as does the Bundeswehr – the Federal Defense Ministry has provided the
information in this – with approximately 289 Leopard-2 panzers. Those are the
facts.
Now of course the armaments industry steps forward.
BlackRock, Herr Merz, is already rubbing its hands. Rheinmetall has a good 239
panzers which are to be readied within two years.
Ulrich Lechte (FDP): That again is offensive!
I ask you: Why were these panzers not long since made fit
for the Bundeswehr? Valued colleagues, look at the deliveries from the
Bundeswehr’s stocks or from the additional procurement which we have already
made for this war. How long indeed is required to again re-build the stocks of
our Bundeswehr? You – primarily the
CDU – are plundering our Bundeswehr. How then does it presently appear with the defense readiness of
the Bundeswehr? Or are we now completely dependent on alliances and allies?
Ladies and gentlemen, with your decisions you actively
prolong a conflict and blockade yourself from peace negotiations. With eyes
open, you run directly into open fire; I thus must say it openly: Directly into
the Third World War.
Thus, what is the aim of the Federal government and of the largest
opposition party, the CDU? Do you want to make this war ours and again plunge
Germany into darkness? First we deliver equipment, then light weapons, then
heavy weapons. What is next? Is it German soldiers made mission-ready which we then
deliver?
Ulrich Lechte (FDP): And that is the second false narrative! Everything again for the AfD-TV and the Telegram channel! Man, man, man!
On February 2, we remember the anniversary of the Battle of
Stalingrad with all its war dead. I recommend to you all, certainly you of the
FDP, a visit to a war cemetery, where I routinely lay a wreath, or directly
before the Berlin Gate at the Seelower Höhe. Almost everyone in this sovereign
house can there again find family members who died in the war.
Ulrich Lechte (FDP): Which is the same in the Ukraine!
The delivery of weapons will increase the suffering and –
much worse – there will be countless deaths to be lamented. This war aids no
one on the European and Asian continent.
Sara Nanni
(Greens): It happens despite that!
And who believes in making peace with weapons deliveries is
really more than naïve. Pressure begets counter-pressure.
Alliances and friendships are honest and true when all sides
– all sides! – in common bear the burden. In this case, Germany and Europe are
once again one-sidedly burdened. The war again occurs at our front door. Our
so-called friends from the United States heat up the situation ever further.
Its armaments industry again does good business and can restore the decayed state
finances. Ultimately, they, the U.S.A., need not worry about the security of
their continent. Yet the security on the continent of Europe is in danger. And
there needs be an end to precisely that!
Allies, yes. Alliances, yes, but not at the price of
self-abnegation! Europe requires peace and needs to acquire a sovereign place
in the world. We need to first serve the interests of our country and of our
citizens. You of the Federal government have the duty to avert harm from
country and people.
Vice-president
Katrin Göring-Eckardt: Herr colleague, please come to an end.
May you finally do justice to that duty!
Many thanks.
Ulrich
Lechte (FDP): Just assembly line conspiracy theories!
Friedrich
Merz (CDU/CSU): Nauseating!
[trans: tem]
