Germany made mistakes in its efforts to support Ukraine, including sending much-needed weapons “too late” to the country after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Sunday.
Germany has “always been late” with its weapons shipments, Habeck told German public broadcaster ARD’s talk show “Miosga.”
He bemoaned the delay in the delivery of Leopard tanks and said that this strategy is repeating itself over the deployment of Taurus cruise missiles, which Chancellor Olaf Scholz strongly opposes.
Habeck supports sending to Kiev the Taurus systems but noted that caution and a cool head are needed for this.
The minister, who is also the vice chancellor, supported Scholz’s recent phone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin, which drew strong criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and others.
Habeck was worried about how you can deal with conflict issues if you don’t talk to those who are fighting. Scholz’s conversation with Putin was the first time in two years that the two have spoken on the phone.
Mistakes made with the home heating system
An important part of the lecture was dedicated to the heat law debate in Germany which promoted heat pumps, but received great criticism throughout the country due to what many saw as poverty.
Habeck, from the Green Party, admitted that the government did not release the help available to homeowners to install pipes but blamed it on those he joined – pro-business Free Democrats and surprisingly, he said, Scholz’s Social Democrats. Mr. Habeck said that he did not want to reveal this information. They have warned the opposition parties not to reduce or reduce the government’s aid funds supporting the reforms if they win the elections in February.