The German industrial concern Rheinmetall said that it has repaired 16 Marder BPMs for Ukraine, but the German authorities are denying it a license to send them. The Tagesschau newspaper writes about this.
The head of the concern, Armin Papperger, previously announced plans to overhaul and restore one hundred Marder infantry fighting vehicles that were stored in the Bundeswehr. At the moment, 16 machines are ready, 14 more are in active work. The other 70 are on the waiting list. Rheinmetall promised to deliver this equipment to Ukraine in the spring, but the German government imposed a ban on the transfer.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmitry Kuleba, did not like the refusal to transfer the already modernized infantry fighting vehicles to Kyiv. He criticized the position of the German government, noting that he did not understand the reasons for Germany’s refusal.
“The signals from Germany are disappointing, while Ukraine now needs Leopards and Marders (…) Not a single rational argument why these weapons cannot be provided, only abstract fears and excuses,” he said.
Kyiv stressed that the previously reached political agreement of the NATO countries not to supply tanks and infantry fighting vehicles of Western models to Ukraine is “outdated”, since the Armed Forces of Ukraine already have foreign M113 and Spartan armored personnel carriers in service. However, Kyiv’s requests did nothing to change Berlin’s decision. Christine Lambrecht, German Defense Minister, has publicly stated that the Bundeswehr will not violate the agreements.
“No country has yet supplied Western-style armored personnel carriers or main battle tanks, and we have agreed with our partners that we will not do this on our own,” she said.
Recall that Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz also said that Germany would not supply the latest Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine without collective action by the allies.
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