Protests are flaring up after Germany and the United States declared they will supply advanced battle tanks to Ukraine in an effort to help Kyiv break combat stalemates, as the Russian incursion enters its 12th month. While the news was welcomed by Ukraine and Western allies, the opposite applies to Germans. Demonstrators took to the streets in Munich in vast numbers on Wednesday to dissent against Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s and President Biden’s choice, out of fear of provoking Russian aggression.
Waving anti-war placards and pleading for a diplomatic solution to the war, protesters peacefully marched last night with the oversight of police officers along the route.
Berlin’s declaration marked the first step of a synchronized effort by the West to supply dozens of heavy weapons, which Ukrainian military commanders said would authorize counter-offensives, reduce fatalities, and help replenish dwindling ammunition supplies.
Numerous European nations have equipped their armies with Leopard 2 tanks, and Germany’s announcement implies they can give some of their inventories to Ukraine.
Speaking in a video address late Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky lauded the formation of what he described as a “tank coalition.”
“We must form a tank fist, a fist of freedom whose hits will not let tyranny stand up again,” Zelensky said.
Ukrainian President Zelensky recently announced that the country will push for more weapons, such as long-range missiles and aircraft, to fight tyranny and protect their right to life. Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines have expressed the need for tanks to reduce casualties. The Western tanks could also provide Ukraine with much-needed ammunition to fuel the fight against Russian artillery. They have been unable to repair parts of their outdated equipment, thus progress has been hampered.
“The terrorist state must lose. The right to life must be protected. And it will be so,” said President Zelensky in his address.
The arrival of the Western tanks will take some months to arrive on the battlefields and in the meantime, Russia has launched a round of over 30 missiles and drones towards Ukraine in response to the recent involvement of the West in the “Special Military Operation” initiated by President Putin.
Oleksander Syrotiuk, commander of a company in the 17th Tank Brigade deployed in Bakhmut said, “Tanks will help reduce casualties among our soldiers … then gain new results and win this war quicker.” Whether that will be the outcome of the events occurring today remains to be determined.