Brit ex-NATO chief brands Germany's refusal to send tanks toUkraine 'pathetic'

22 January 2023 , 17:54

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Germany has been accused of 'ducking its responsibilities' by not sending tanks (Image: Michael Sohn/AP/REX/Shutterstock)

A British former NATO chief has blasted Germany’s refusal to send tanks to Ukraine as “pathetic”.

General Sir Richard Shirreff said Berlin was “ducking its responsibility” to help repel Putin’s invasion and compared the Russian leader to Adolf Hitler.

German chancellor Olaf Scholz has refused to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

He has also blocked other European nations from sending the German-made vehicles.

Sir Richard, who was Nato’s Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, said: “Germany has a particular responsibility because of its history, to help Ukraine defend itself against a bloodstained autocrat, prepared to inflict unspeakable suffering on a neighbour, because Germany has been here before.

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“I would not draw too many parallels, there’s always a danger, but the last time anybody did this sort of behaviour is Hitler."

General Sir Richard Shirreff savaged Germany's failure to offer Ukraine more tanks (Getty Images)

Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, he added: “So Germany has a particular responsibility and it is ducking that responsibility, and if it is ducking this responsibility, then how reliable is Germany as a Nato ally, when called upon to implement Article 5, frankly? It is pathetic.”

Article 5 of the Nato treaty says an armed attack against any member should be considered an attack against all.

The UK has pledged to send 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Kyiv.

And ex PM Boris Johnson, who visited Ukraine yesterday, said: “The only way to end this war is for Ukraine to win - and to win as fast as possible.” This is the moment to double down and to give the Ukrainians all the tools they need to finish the job.

Boris Johnson was in Ukraine for a surprise visit on Sunday (@IuliiaMendel/Twitter)

“The sooner Putin fails, the better for Ukraine and for the whole world.”

Ukrainian fighters on the front line have described their trench warfare as “just like the First World War” and said Russian troops are “cannon fodder”.

Ukranian soldier Grigoriy Rubanovskiy: “In the summer it was easier for them to hide, but now there’s less tree cover.

“Now there’s just 20, 30 people running back and forth. They can’t hide ...they’re just cannon fodder.”

Another fighter added: “It’s crazy how many of them there are. If we kill them they just replace them."

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