Half of Germans oppose sending heavy weapons to Ukraine

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According to the German Institute for New Social Answers, half of Germans are against delivering heavy arms to Ukraine, while 43% of respondents are in support of the deliveries. The poll comes at the request of Bild, a German news outlet, on Saturday. 

Another poll, though similar, was held by the German Institute for Social Research and Statistical Analysis, Forsa. The poll showed that 51% of Germans supported delivering offensive arms to Ukraine, while 37% stood against it. 

Read more: Poland to convince Germany to send heavy weapons to Ukraine

Earlier this month, 20 prominent cultural figures, German scientists, and politicians, including former Bundestag VP, Antje Vollmer, sent an open letter to Olaf Scholz to stop sending arms to Ukraine. 

Those that sent the letter said that "Germany and other NATO countries have de facto made themselves a party to the war by delivering weapons," therefore Ukraine became "a battlefield for a conflict between NATO and Russia over the security order in Europe."

Scholz earlier this week said that Germany will no longer be supplying weapons to Ukraine, as the German weapon inventories are too exhausted. 

Read more: Germany considers exchanging arms with Slovenia to arm Ukraine

Arming Ukraine would leave Germany unable to meet NATO goals: Berlin

Berlin supplying Ukraine with infantry fighting vehicles from its own national stock would leave Germany underequipped and unable to fulfill its obligations under NATO, the country's deputy chief of staff said on April 20.

"We would no longer be able to react to eventualities, and that would significantly weaken our defensive capability," stressed Lieutenant General Markus Laubenthal.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had come under fire over his refusal to send heavy weapons to Ukraine from his country's stock, though his decision was backed by the German military.

According to the official, if Germany were to do that, it would be unable to defend itself, promising Ukraine some one billion euros to buy weapons instead.

"The claim the Bundeswehr is no longer able to deliver anything to Ukraine is incomprehensible," said Ukrainian ambassador to Germany Andrij Melnyk.

There are proposals surrounding Germany's refusal to provide Ukraine with tanks, among which is Berlin giving Kiev 100 Marder infantry fighting vehicles.

Kiev had schemed to buy 100 decommissioned Marders from German defense firm Rheinmetall. However, the manufacturer said they needed to be restored and it would be several months before they would be operational.

In response, Ukraine proposed an arrangement that would see Germany sending 100 of its operation Marders to Ukraine and take the restored vehicles in their place, though Scholz rejected this offer.