
THE debate about supplying Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine is gaining a dangerous amount of traction in Germany. Those advocating such deliveries are hoping in all seriousness for a Ukrainian victory in the war against Russia. They give little thought to the effect that sending German tanks would have in Russia.
Hardly any time in this debate is spent considering German history.
And yet you do not have to be a prophet to foresee what reactions the deployment of German tanks against Russia would elicit from the public there. Even though Ukraine will paint over the iron crosses on the German battle tanks, many Russians, especially those who lost loved ones in the war of extermination and colonisation waged by the Wehrmacht, will see in these weapons a renewed German military campaign against their country.
In short, those pushing for German tanks to be supplied will reap a massive mobilisation of Russian public opinion in favour of the war against Ukraine.



