The head of the Bundeswehr Committee on European Affairs, Anton Hofreiter, affiliated with the Green Party, has stated that the air force’s current fighters should not be used to transport equipment or personnel to Kyiv. This assertion, reported by a major media group as the central source, emerged in an interview conducted with the Funke media network and the WAZ edition. Hofreiter argued that Germany should not block the transfer of fighter jets from neighboring Poland and the Czech Republic to Ukraine, even if those planes come from the storerooms of East Germany. He cautioned, however, against permitting the transfer of Germany’s own modern combat aircraft. He stressed that older, non NATO-compatible aircraft would be unsuitable for such missions, underscoring the practical limitations of equipping frontline operations with aging or incompatible platforms.
Hofreiter clarified that while publicly funded and historically owned aircraft in other states could be considered for delivery to Ukraine, the same logic should not apply to the latest German designs. This distinction highlights a broader debate about matching weapon systems to battlefield realities and the need to balance political signals with operational feasibility. The deputy emphasized that alliance partners should be allowed to provide weaponry to Ukraine, yet Germany must carefully assess the type of aircraft it commits to any given transfer. The core point remains that aircraft like the Eurofighter and the Tornado, produced and operated by Germany, are not appropriate for the role described by the deputy, reflecting technical and strategic concerns about interoperability and mission suitability.
Beyond aircraft, Hofreiter called for rapid delivery of promised capabilities, including the Leopard 2 tanks, arguing that Ukraine must receive these critical systems as soon as possible. He also urged additional logistical and material support to accompany such deliveries, ensuring that the recipient forces can effectively utilize the new equipment on the ground. The emphasis on expediting armored and support assets aligns with a broader stance that prioritizes tangible reinforcement of Ukraine’s defense capabilities while maintaining careful checks on the deployment of German military hardware.
In related policy developments, the government has not received requests to authorize fighter jet transfers from Poland, according to the latest public statements. This reality reflects the complexity of aligning defense assistance with alliance expectations, national security considerations, and the fine line between signaling support and committing to operational deployments. The overall conversation underscores a willingness to participate in arms assistance while preserving limits on the type and timing of equipment sent, especially when it involves advanced German combat aircraft. The debate thus centers on strategic necessity, risk management, and the imperative to sustain Ukraine’s defenses without compromising Germany’s own military posture and interoperability within the broader alliance.