Wagenknecht sees the use of German weapons as crossing a "red line"
In the Kursk region, Ukrainian troops have advanced into Russian territory. The Defense Ministry in Moscow claims that German armored personnel carriers are also involved in this push. While the FDP sees no issue with this, Sahra Wagenknecht, head of the Left Party (Die Linke), describes this as a "highly dangerous development".
Following the advance of Ukrainian troops into the Russian region of Kursk, fighting in the border region has continued for the third day, according to reports from Moscow. "Up to a thousand" Ukrainian soldiers, along with dozens of tanks and armored vehicles, have been involved in the attack since Tuesday, according to Russian reports. The Washington-based think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) stated in an explanation that the Ukrainian advance has reached "up to ten kilometers", while Russian military blogger Yuri Podolyaka claims it has reached over 25 kilometers.
According to the ISW, the "current extent and location of Ukrainian advances in the Kursk region suggest that Ukrainian forces have breached at least two Russian defensive lines and a position". The Ukrainian advance is reportedly targeting a key Russian army supply hub near the town of Sudzha, which is eight kilometers from the border.
The "Bild" newspaper reports that at least three German Marder armored personnel carriers are involved in this operation, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. Moscow claims to have evidence of this in the form of drone footage, which allegedly shows German vehicles being attacked by Russian kamikaze drones. However, it is not possible to independently verify these claims, as misinformation and propaganda play a central role in warfare. Ukrainian government representatives have not yet commented on the scale of the operation.
Faber: Ukraine can use German weapons in Kursk
Marcus Faber, chairman of the Defense Committee in the German Bundestag, does not see a problem with Ukraine using German-supplied weapons in its current advance into Russian territory. "Once delivered to Ukraine, they are Ukrainian weapons," he told the Funke media group. This applies to "any material, including the Leopard 2 battle tank."
"With Russia's attack on Ukraine, the territory of both states has become a war zone," Faber explained his position. "The use of weapons is governed by the rules of international law." Roderich Kiesewetter, a CDU foreign policy expert, also describes the Ukrainian advance into Kursk as "clearly permissible under international law in the context of the right to self-defense."
Moreover, he considers this "militarily strategic," as it allows "pressure to be taken off other fronts by binding or moving Russian forces to Kursk," Kiesewetter told the "Tagesspiegel."
Since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Germany has supplied Ukraine with 18 Leopard 2 battle tanks, along with air defense systems, drones, and many other types of military equipment, including 120 Marder armored personnel carriers and - together with Denmark - 58 Leopard 1 tanks.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz only agreed to the delivery of battle tanks after months of hesitation in early 2023, on the condition that this was not done unilaterally by Germany, but that other NATO countries, particularly the US, also supplied tanks to Kyiv. The Kremlin vehemently criticizes Western arms deliveries to Kyiv, but simultaneously claims that they have no impact on the course of the war.
Wagenknecht: "Red line" crossed
Against this, BSW party leader Sahra Wagenknecht warns against the use of German weapons in the Ukrainian soldiers' advance onto Russian territory. "This is a highly dangerous development," said Wagenknecht to the Funke media group newspapers. "The Federal Chancellor must call the Ukrainian President and demand that no German weapons be used in the advance onto Russian territory," demanded the BSW chairwoman.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz did promise that Germany would not become a war party. But: "First, he allowed the Ukraine to shoot with German weapons onto Russian territory," criticized Wagenknecht. "Does the federal government now also permit the Ukraine to advance into Russia with German weapons? That would be the next red line to be crossed."
According to Wagenknecht, the federal government has lied to the German public. It was promised that "tax money and weapons from Germany will not be supplied for such attacks," said the BSW chief. The federal government is "dragging Germany ever deeper into the war," she added. "The danger of a major European war is thus becoming greater."
Wagenknecht and the BSW call for a swift end to the war in Ukraine. However, they do not demand a withdrawal of Russian troops from the country. Instead, they suggest concessions to the aggressor for the Ukraine. The BSW rejects sanctions against Russia for its war of aggression against Ukraine and the occupation of Ukrainian territory.
Birthler: BSW positions "dictated by the Kremlin"
The former federal commissioner for Stasi records, Marianne Birthler, has classified the Alliance for Progress and Social Justice (BSW) as a platform for Russian propaganda in Germany. "The BSW's positions on Ukraine sound as if they were dictated by the Kremlin" - to the delight of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Birthler to the Berlin "Tagesspiegel" on Wednesday. This supports Putin "in his dirty business."
"Mrs. Wagenknecht spreads the legend that Russia is fighting against 'fascism' in Ukraine," said Birthler further. "That is Kremlin propaganda," she emphasized. The Ukrainians are fighting for freedom and democracy, and that is what the Kremlin dislikes. "Putin is not fighting against fascism or NATO in truth, but against the freedom that could approach his borders in the form of Ukraine," said the Green politician.
Content-wise, the former commissioner sees a great similarity between the BSW and the AfD in foreign and migration policy. Here, traditions still present in East Germany are sometimes drawn upon. Birthler mentioned "the hostility towards the West, especially against America." This "already existed under Hitler, and the GDR continued it," she said.
The political leadership of Germany, specifically Marcus Faber, chairman of the Defense Committee in the German Bundestag, does not view the use of German-supplied weapons, such as armored personnel carriers, in Ukraine's advance into Russian territory as problematic. Sahra Wagenknecht, head of the Left Party (Die Linke), strongly opposes this, warning that the federal government must intervene to prevent German weapons from being used in this advance onto Russian territory, citing it as a "dangerous development".
