Klingbeil made it clear that he was also critical of Estonia’s application for the transfer of artillery pieces from old GDR stocks to the Ukraine. “I don’t believe in arms deliveries to crisis areas, no matter what country they come from,” he said when asked. Estonia wants to give nine howitzers to Ukraine – but the country has undertaken to obtain Germany’s consent before passing them on to third parties.
When asked about former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s (SPD) controversial criticism of Ukraine, Klingbeil emphasized that the current escalation, from the party leadership’s point of view, is coming from Russia. “We take what is happening there very seriously.” It is a dramatic situation in the middle of Europe. “We say very clearly as the party leadership, and the Federal Chancellor also emphasized this: The escalation that we are currently experiencing is coming from Russia.” He added: “We’re happy to take advice and it’s perfectly fine for others to join the debate. But those who are responsible for the party are clear and unequivocal.”
Schröder had defended the German refusal to deliver arms to Ukraine and had clearly rejected Ukrainian criticism. “I very much hope that the saber-rattling in Ukraine will finally stop,” he said on the podcast “The Agenda”. “Because what I have to hear there, including the accusations against Germany, because of the reasonable cancellation of arms deliveries, that sometimes knocks the bottom out of the barrel.”