German weapons are flowing to Ukraine, but Kyiv says Berlin's 'abstract fears and excuses' are getting in the way

• Germany's seeming reluctance to give heavy weapons to Ukraine has drawn criticism in Kyiv and Berlin.
• Germany's government has sent military aid worth hundreds of millions of dollars since the war began.

Where are all those weapons that Germany promised?

That's the question that many Ukrainians are asking. Despite Berlin promising to supply a variety of arms to help Ukraine repel Russia, many of those weapons still have not arrived.

Ukraine's foreign minister has voiced strong criticism over Germany's failure to deliver arms, including Leopard II tanks, Marder infantry fighting vehicles, and, most recently, RCH-155 self-propelled howitzers.

"Disappointing signals from Germany while Ukraine needs Leopards and Marders now — to liberate people and save them from genocide," Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter in mid-September. "Not a single rational argument on why these weapons cannot be supplied, only abstract fears and excuses. What is Berlin afraid of that Kyiv is not?"

It's a question that German leaders and the media are also asking of Chancellor Olof Scholz, who heads a coalition of liberal and leftist parties, including the Green Party.

Unsurprisingly, Germany's conservative opposition parties are not missing the chance to blast the government over failure, but when the Green Party — which has long denounced US militarism — demands that Germany speed up arms deliveries to Ukraine, it's a sign that Putin's war is fracturing German politics.

To be clear, it's not that Germany hasn't aided Ukraine. Within days of Russia's invasion, Scholz's government pledged to send weapons and other equipment, and it posts periodic updates of military aid sent or promised to Ukraine: As of October 5, those deliveries and pledges totaled almost $755 million.

That sum covers a long, impressive list that includes 10 Panzerhaubitze self-propelled 155 mm howitzers, three MARS II multiple rocket launchers, 30 Gepard mobile anti-aircraft guns, 3,000 Panzerfaust 3 anti-tank rockets, and a host of combat and non-combat items, among them 21.8 million rounds of small arms ammunition and 10,000 sleeping bags.

But the Leopards and Marders are conspicuously absent. The US, Britain, and other nations have delivered artillery, missiles, and supplies but not main battle tanks, and Scholz has indicated that Germany does not want to be the lone Western power sending tanks to Ukraine.

"This is a wimpy line of reasoning," German journalist Andreas Kluth countered in a column for Bloomberg. "The US, UK, Poland and other allies have, overall, been much more forthcoming than Germany with their help to the Ukrainians. And they all want Germany to do more rather than less — to lead rather than just follow. So they'd be delighted if Germany shipped its Leopards."

Finding usable Leopards won't be easy.

While West Germany had a potent military during the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall led to considerable cuts in German defense spending, which resulted in the Bundeswehr shrinking in size and capability. The consequences of that have been seen reports in fighters that couldn't fly, subs that couldn't sail, and tanks that couldn't move.

The biggest reason for German hesitation is fear — particularly fear of a Russia that accounted for more than half of Germany's gas imports in 2021 and that might retaliate militarily and covertly.

There is also the specter of World War II and modern Germany's discomfort with military force. Many Germans would rather not think about the last time German tanks clanked through Ukraine.

For Ukraine, Leopard tanks may be useful but perhaps not vital. Kyiv is receiving aid from many nations — there are hints that US M1 Abrams tanks are a possibility — while British intelligence agencies estimate that half of Ukraine's tank fleet now consists of captured Russian vehicles.

But tanks are also potent symbols. That Germany would be willing to send such high-profile arms would be a signal to Ukraine of German support — and signal to Russia that not even turning off the gas will intimidate Berlin.

Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications. He holds a master's in political science. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.