Bolton knocks Germany over ‘incredibly disappointing’ performance throughout invasion of Ukraine 

Former national security adviser John Bolton on Monday knocked Germany over its “incredibly disappointing” performance throughout Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.   

“I think Germany’s performance throughout this war has been incredibly disappointing,” Bolton said in an appearance on CNN’s “This Morning.”   

As Russia continues its attacks on Ukraine in the nearly yearlong war, Poland is pushing to supply Kyiv with German-built Leopard tanks — but Berlin, as the weapon maker, needs to sign off on the move before the tanks are sent to a non-NATO country. 

The hesitation to greenlight the tanks indicates that a “sea change” in Germany’s defense policy “needs to happen,” Bolton said.  

“NATO is a lot more fractured than some of its political leaders would like to let on,” Bolton said, and Russian President Vladimir Putin likely sees Germany as “the weak point in the alliance.” 

The former Trump administration national security adviser said it looks “bad for Ukraine” and for the West if the country doesn’t “have the capability to respond to long-rumored, impending Russian offensives.” 

“It’s bad for the West as a whole because it plays into the Kremlin strategy to win politically what they can’t win on the battlefield by splitting NATO,” Bolton said.  

Germany’s foreign minister on Sunday said Poland hadn’t yet formally asked to send the tanks, but said that Berlin “would not stand in the way” of the move.  

Poland said Monday that it would submit a formal request, but its prime minister has indicated that Warsaw will likely make its own decision regardless of whether Germany approves the move.

“The war started by [Russia] doesn’t allow delays. I can thank you hundreds of times — but hundreds of ‘thank you’ are not hundreds of tanks,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Twitter over the weekend as he continues calls for foreign aid and the ground-combat machines.