comment: >
  
  I gues they like to be wooed.
  Send some tank pics, not give the tanks on the first, or second, or even third date, but hey, we're maybe still on for some frisky tank time in the future, who knows, right?
  Defo not waifu material
context: This is the best tl;dr I could make, original reduced by 87%. (I'm a bot)
  
  
  BERLIN - Western defense officials on Friday continued to pressure Germany to allow the export of its sophisticated Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
  Last week, Polish President Andrzej Duda said his country would transfer Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and Finnish President Sauli Niinistö also indicated her country was prepared to supply Kyiv with the tanks.
  According to the latest Forsa survey from this week, German public support for supplying battle tanks to Ukraine grew to its highest level ever: 46% of those polled are in favor of delivering Leopard tanks and the same percentage is against it.
  
  
  Extended Summary | FAQ | Feedback | Top keywords: Ukraine^#1 tanks^#2 Germany^#3 Leopard^#4 heavy^#5 >
  
  "Her"? I mean, Sauli doesn't have a beard, but... >
  
  NPR probably got confused between President and Prime Minister. >
  
  What about tanks filled with leopards? >
  
  Snow leopards would be pretty useful in the trenches at the moment >
  
  Make it happen, Germany! >
  
  The worst thing is that Lambrecht (former defence minister) stopped the count. She deemed it might send signals of an arriving shipment and put pressure on Scholz to decide on the tanks. Fucking stupid.
  I'm usually in favour of a well thought out and compromised approach. However, this shitty nebulous discussion goes on for 6 weeks or so. Both the Greens and the FDP support it. Only the SPD is dragging their feet. 
  Even if Scholz decides not to send them, at least come to a decision. I'd be quite disappointed but that's Scholz and his SPD. >
  
  … Wow, just wow. National security is too important to be left to the generals, but when we leave it to second-rated obstructionistic politicians, this is what we get. >
  
  I mean that's one of many reasons why she was let go. She never wanted to be defence minister in the first place and by lord did it show. I really hope Pistorius will finally get something done. >
  
  I would not hold my breath for Boris pistorius >
  
  Nobody likes a tank tease >
  
  I have been reading this same headline for the past 9 months. >
  
  Yes and despite all the headlines not a single country that has said it wants to send leopord 2s has made an official export request.  Until that actually happens we will continue to see this headline every week. >
  
  Countries will only send an official request once there is a clear signal by Berlin that it would be approved. Nobody wants to embarrass Germany by forcing them to officially deny a request for transfer >
  
  But germany can not give that signal beforehand, because the gremium, the bundessicherheitsrat  who decides reexport of weapons is not allowed to make decisions without order. This order can only be the request of another country. They can only vote after they got a request and there is no way to know how that vote turns out, so germany cant lawfully signal deny or approval. >
  
  The Bundessicherheitsrat is 100% members of the ruling coalition (ministers mostly) and is chaired by the Bundeskanzler. And it is a Purley executive body, meaning there is no oversight by the parliament. So the pretty much can and will guarantee results beforehand. >
  
  There are German lawmakers voicing dissent in sending tanks to Ukraine and they're using history to suggest why doing so is a bad idea. While I am sympathetic to Germany's position, using their "history" to justify not sending tanks to Ukraine feels....odd to hear. >
  
  
  While I am sympathetic to Germany's position, using their "history" to justify not sending tanks to Ukraine feels....odd to hear
  
  Yeah, I'm sure the Ukrainians can suspend dying by the thousands while Scholz does some soul searching.
  Germany's attitude on this has been pathetic and their fake regret is costing innocent lives. >
  
  No, as much people are against sending tanks as much are arguing towards it. I think many really fear sending in tanks might escalate the situation further.
  Fact is, germans know very mich how bad war is and holds onto that sentiment more than other nations. >
  
  yeah and that means germans should know ending it as swift as possible is the way to go, and being occupied by an authoritarian regime always ends with genocide >
  
  Fear is nor rational thing. As is said, "Never again" is deeply rooted in our society. Many simply dont want to have anything to do with war! >
  
  yes it is but that doesnt mean germans should allow another genocide in ukraine >
  
  As do others ... im just explaining why we act like we do, other have their reasons as well. But the only thing you can blame germany for in comparision to others now is bad communication, thats all.
  And that fault lies in our chancelor, which i would very much like to change if only i could. >
  
  I just loathe the spd so much its like whenever democracy is under attack you can be sure of them to make the wrong choices,  first appeasing the reactionaries in weimar and now playing the Russians into their hands >
  
  Well ok, but isnt the CDU worse, atleast in my opinion. >
  
  yes of course, but we also dont live in a two party system where its a choice between pest and cholera >
  
  The thing here is are we going to let Russia win in Ukraine or not.  All this pussyfooting around is just allowing more people to die. It’s is crazy to me how little lives of people are worth to leaders and country’s of the world. I know there are reasons and excuses that are important etc.  But come on you have to admit WE are letting innocent people die as we argue politics.  Who are we as a people. >
  
  100% >
  
  Of course they didn’t. That’s literally what they talk about the whole time. They just want that all of NATO pulls on this together and the decision to send MBTs to Ukraine is carried out by all the big NATO states.
  Yes call them „cowards“ or what you want but you won’t get Germany to get into Wehrmacht-Mode or anything that resembles aný kind of leading military power or supplier anymore. Sorry to say but these times are over. At least for the next years to decades. >
  
  UK is  already sending their tanks to Ukraine and nobody calls UK a new British Empire. >
  
  So is France. >
  
  Oh no, france sends tanks to fight russia, macron has to be a new napoleon. >
  
  Starting to feel like Shia Lebeouf here. >
  
  Hold your line Germany. 
  There's still some time to maximize the negative publicity before ultimately sending these tanks. >
  
  Germany doesn't really care about publicity. It is always the bad guy for certain countries / people. 
  Germany did send top notch AA, IFV, artillery, houses over a million refugees, etc. and people act like the country does nothing. Just recently announced another billion in support for Ukraine. 
  Poland sends their old tanks, they want to get rid of anyway and everybody praises them and nobody complains about how they actively block servicing stations for the German artillery operating in Ukraine. >
  
  Poland also wants to send leopards. Not just old stuff they got some of the new self propelled artillery, manpads, i think also drones etc... The "old" stuff was sent early since it's post Soviet equipment for which they don't need additional training. Just reminder Germany is more wealthy country I'm not just saying they could do more (which is most likely true) but they keep dragging their feet too. >
  
  Poland "wants" to send (afaik) 12 Leopard II. That is nothing and will get nothing done. This is merely a publicity stunt by polish PiS politicians. As usual: Germany is the bad guy and a critically needed scapegoat in polish populism.
  Edit: the "wants" is in quotes because they never send any request for doing so. This is (again and again) simply their way to shit on Germany for upcoming elections in autumn this year. The PiS party is a scourge. >
  
  Yeah, funny how Germany is "refusing to approve tanks" by openly saying: "There is no decision yet regarding potential export permits".
  When Germany didn't agree to let Estonia send howitzers to Ukraine they went public and applied for the export permit to put pressure on them. When the German stance changed with Russia's invasion they simply re-applied and got it.
  When Switzerland blocks several exports to Ukraine countries apply for the export permit publically to put pressure on them. And even re-apply after some time to keep it fresh in everyone's mind.
  When countries however totally want to send their Leopard-2s to Ukraine they don't apply because they will surely get declined and pretend some magical consequences as if they could not just ask again at any given time. Then they whine about putting pressure on Germany by refusing to do the one thing normally done exactly for that reason. And then they even manage to twist "There is not decision, because no one applied yet and we will see then" to be that definitive block they want for their narratives. >
  
  Is it just me, or does Germany keep saying various versions of “We’re probably/maybe/might/thinking about” sending Ukraine tanks? Talk is cheap, Germany. Get off the dime. >
  
  They are indeed saying various variations of their one single line all war: We will not send any heavy weapons unless it's a coordinated NATO decision.
  Everything else is just noise and media bullshit. >
  
  Just look at the comments...just a bjnch of Apps following bullshit propaganda. So even if geemany didnt send 300 tanks...thats the reason No one is able to even request for some? So much bulshit the last days >
  
  Fuckin do it >
  
  Can someone explain this to me? Seems like everyone pushing Germany to be the first to send tanks, and not wanting to be the first themselves. Germany says why don’t we all do it together & everyone starts whistling. Is that a workable summary of where we are? >
  
  Germany under Merkel is partly if not completely responsible for the current situation. Letting Germany become so much depended on Russian gas enabled Russia both economically and politically to start this war. It is a crying shame  that Germany of all countries is denying requests from Poland, the country it invaded first in WW2, to help its neighbor defend against an invading country. If there is any historical responsibility in Germany it should not be about appeasing the Russians, the Russians murderer millions under Stalin just like Nazi Germany, but it should be about doing the right thing and helping a defending nation stand up for its sovereign right to live as a democracy.
  Germany is so afraid of its own shadow that it does not see it is precisely its indecision that is costing thousands of Ukrainian lives and is enabling a tragedy similar to their traumatic past. >
  
  Simply not true. First, Germany was never as dependent as people on Reddit claimed. How else were they able to replace all Russian gas imports to zero within 2 years. You might want to check the dependency of other countries in the EU who are still not off Russian gas. 
  Second: The strategy to tie the EU and Russian economy together was a EU strategy, not a German strategy. Since the invasion of Ukraine in 2015, the gas imports from Russia to the EU increased by 23%, but Germany’s only by 20%.
  So a whole list of EU countries increased their dependency by a whole lot more than Germany.
  E.g. France by 37% or Romania by 425%.
  Additional evidence for that European strategy is that the “German” pipeline was actually financed by German, French, Austrian and British companies to equal terms. French and Austrian companies actually state owned companies.
  Third: Natural gas is only 5% of Russia’s export revenue. And actually, Germany had over 50 billion trade surplus with Russia over the past 10 years. In other words, they were literally draining funds from the Russian economy, not funding it.
  You might want to check out which countries actually funded the Russian economy with a trade deficit. It wasn’t Germany, that is for sure. >
  
  They'll probably do it after the war ends. I mean, what's the rush anyway? >
  
  They are just sending in 40 IFV, one Patriot battery, and approved another billion in support. 
  They also just approved another 7 Gepard AA tanks. I guess that is nothing. >
  
  "The year is 2042, Germany is mulling over sending Leopard tanks to Ukraine." >
  
  Good thing Germany has someone else with a working military between them and Belarus/Russia... >
  
  Do it already. Watchya waiting for? >
  
  They made clear that they wait for other NATO countries specifically the US to do the same. >
  
  If Europe isn’t going to take a single step on its own in service of its own defense then the US should be allowed into Eurovision >
  
  But Germany isn't Europe. There are a dozen countries that can at any point decide to commit to Leopard-2 transfers by asking for the export permit. Yet they all only talk while hiding behind Germany and their total block of "We haven't decided and yet and will see when someone finally decides to ask". >
  
  Any year now. Maybe let more innocent people die first. >
  
  We're being so harsh to the German government. This is such an unheard of request, made out of the blue, without supporting ideas given by their allies and certainly no one could have anticipated this.  A well thought through, strategic decision based on principles befitting of a government and nation that wants to be the leader of political and economic discussion in Europe cannot be rushed. 
  Surely they need a few more years of consultation and internal discussion before they can come to an answer. In fact, this merits a few decades of soul searching. >
  
  They want a majority of NATO allies to agree on sending MBTs, the German MoD has stated that NATO are split on the decision atm, so until the majority of the main NATO countries agree on sending MBTs this isn’t gonna change
  Why is your sole criticism focused on the 2nd biggest supporter of Ukraine in this conflict when this is really about the majority of NATO countries? >
  
  To be clear I don't sit in the halls of power. But here is my rebuttal.
  Leadership is demonstrating by example, by setting clear positions and by building consensus. Has Germany done so?
  The German government has unique considerations political, economic and historical. It would be hard to describe the current government as acting as a leader. It can put forward any preconditions or structural requirements for its decision one way or the other. Have they been anything but generally obstructive, reactive and ambivalent? 
  Give me your honest opinion. 
  1) Has Germany outlined reasonably clear and explicit conditions? Are these realistic?
  2) Has the German government appeared to try to build consensus around their position?
  3) Has the German government proactively put out these positions rather than react to external pressures? >
  
  As i say again and again, watch the actual interview with the German MoD after Ramstein, that’s all you rly need to make your own opinion
  If you really want to we can go into the history of reunified Germany, the restrictions and expectations placed on Germany and their role within Europe
  In short other European countries for decades have not wanted Germany to be a leader, some actively were against the reunification of the two German states ( GB ), we are constantly reminded of our role in history and our responsibility to keep history repeating itself
  Decreasing the German military was one of the conditions to allow occupied Germany to reunite and now everyone is shitting on Germany for not having a bigger Army to donate stock from
  So, yeah, as a german I am quite happy with how consistent the German government has been in stating and following their own policy while also enabling an earth shattering change in legislation to be able to even support Ukraine in the first place
  Germany is doing what other countries have taught us they want us to be like so expecting differently now is just hugely hypocritical in my eyes
  Hope that answered some of your wuestions
  Edit: 
  1: Yes
  2: Yes
  3: I think so
  Edit2: Germany has clearly stated they do not seek a leadership role in the conflict and that they will not at any stage be the once to create precedent but are willing to follow majority lead within the NATO coalition >
  
  Get it done already!