What did Lambrecht's resignation mean for Berlin's Ukraine policy?
A look back at the German defence minister's departure and the British tank pledge that preceded it.
What did it signal when Germany's defence minister resigned amid criticism of her handling of the war in Ukraine? On 16 January 2023, Christine Lambrecht left the Scholz cabinet, with her response to the war having drawn criticism.
The resignation came two days after a notable step by another Western government. On 14 January 2023, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed that the United Kingdom would send 14 Challenger 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine in the coming weeks, along with 30 self-propelled AS-90 howitzers. British forces were also to train Ukrainian troops to operate the tanks.
The two events were separate, and the reports from those days do not link them. Placed side by side, however, they show how much attention was focused on the scale and pace of Western military support for Kyiv. London had set out specific numbers, equipment types and a training commitment. In Berlin, the criticism of Lambrecht's response ended with her departure from the government.
What the reports did not settle was who would replace her, or what the change would mean for German policy. Those questions were open on 16 January 2023.
