Has the German leopard at last changed its spots, now that it says it will release the tanks of that name? The Germany/Ukraine story has so far been another example of the former’s long-proclaimed desire to create a European Germany rather than a German Europe. In fact, however, the two phrases now amount to much the same thing. As with the single currency and with energy, so with war materiel: German power exceeds that of all continental rivals. But, by speaking about being so European, Germany has probably gained dominance more easily than if it had been more national in tone. It might now be more honest – and safer for Ukraine – if Germany were to follow the logic of its leadership and help Zelensky as fast, rather than as slowly, as possible. The Americans, in particular, have some right to feel sore. Not only have they had to pay for the defence of Europe for nearly 80 years, now they have to promise their own tanks in order to give political cover for German ones. If Germany could rearm, and arm others, more frankly, it would see more clearly its European responsibility to defeat Putin’s invasion.
A friend has just sent me an illustrated children’s book which he recently bought in the bookshop of the Supreme Court in London. Written by Afua Hirsch, it is called Equal to Everything. It tells of a (fictional) little black girl called Ama, new to the town of Richmond, Yorkshire, and therefore to its school. In class, the pupils are being told about London. Suddenly, says the rhyming narrative: ‘Ama came alive: statues and skyscrapers everywhere / “What’s that?” she asked, “on the edge of Parliament Square?”’ Why, it’s the Supreme Court! The court, the teacher explains, is ‘led by a woman called Brenda Hale, who’s from Richmond just like you’.
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