“Ukraine has no time and everything, everything, everything has to go much faster,” she said. “What I expect is that France, precisely because it is an important nation, not only — and I don’t mean this in a negative way — makes big speeches, but also follows up its words with action.”
Germany’s Kiel Institute, which compiles national contributions to Ukraine’s war effort, ranks France as a clear laggard when it comes to military aid — far behind Germany, which is second only to the United States.
While German Chancellor Olaf Scholz — wary of provoking Vladimir Putin — has been far more careful in his rhetoric when it comes to Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to do “whatever it takes” to defeat Russian forces — even refusing to rule out putting Western boots on the ground.
Strack-Zimmermann also criticized German chancellor Olaf Scholz, the leader of the three-party coalition government that includes her FDP, for not doing more on Ukraine, including for not sending German-made Taurus cruise missiles to the country. The chancellor has refused to send the missiles even as Germany’s allies have provided similar weapons to Ukraine, arguing it could draw Germany into war with Russia.
But Strack-Zimmermann said she hasn’t given up hope that Scholz will change his mind.
“If the situation changes, I also expect the chancellor’s opinion to change,” she said. “And I hope that when the situation changes, he will realize that he made a big mistake not giving the green light a year ago. So in that respect, hope dies last.”
