Habeck defends shift in Ukraine policy stance.
The Vice-Chancellor, Robert Habeck, expressed his regrets that Chancellor Olaf Scholz didn't make the policy shift on Ukraine sooner. "Everything we decided could've been decided quicker," he said in an interview with the Augsburger Allgemeinen. Despite this, Habeck defended Scholz against accusations of indecision. "Indecision isn't the right term. Making decisions is challenging, and that's why it's important to be cautious," he explained. "The right decision was made in this case."
Steffen Hebestreit, the government spokesman, revealed on Friday that weapons supplied by Germany to Ukraine can now be used against military targets in Russia. The day before, the US government granted Ukraine permission to use American weapons against Russian targets to a certain extent.
Both Germany and the US justified this move following the latest Russian offensive against the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv. Prior to this, they had linked the delivery of specific weapons systems to Ukraine with strict guidelines on their use. The reasoning behind this is the fear of further escalation of the conflict and potential involvement of NATO in the war.
Habeck added, "Russia is launching attacks near the border and destroying houses and shopping centers in Kharkiv. Therefore, Ukraine should be allowed to defend themselves and protect the lives of children, women, and men. Not giving them the freedom to do so would result in more casualties. The new regulation applies to a limited area near Kharkiv for the purpose of self-defense and protection, but it also means: Everything we decided could've been decided faster."
Previously, both Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) had expressed their openness to lifting the restrictions earlier. However, the SPD, the largest coalition partner of the traffic light coalition, urged against direct confrontation with Russia.
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Habeck acknowledged the potential for a faster shift in Germany's Ukraine policy stance, saying, "Everything we decided could've been decided quicker." Additionally, in response to Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, particularly the attacks near Kharkiv, Habeck advocated for a change of course in Germany's policy towards Ukraine, stating, "Ukraine should be allowed to defend themselves and protect the lives of children, women, and men."
