Why Germany isn't sending weapons to Ukraine

German politicians are pragmatists. There are not enough upsides to directly sending weapons and there are enough downsides. The Seelow heights graves are a pretty side story but I personally doubt this is a significant drive, even if it's present in their minds.

WWII was long enough ago that no current voting reflects strongly on this. Current neonazism is of course a live political problem and has enmeshed in covid related opposition as well as the long tail of the refugee crisis. This present situation is capable of making a refugee and a gas supply crisis.

In contradistinction Japan has been in decades long agony about rearmament. I think it was baked into their constitution in a stronger form. Germany was made the backbone of NATO in the ETO so long ago that nobody seriously doubts German armed forces can and will participate in global conflict. If they aren't selling materiel directly it's not because of 1945.

Background (linked in the story): "Nord Stream 2: How does the pipeline fit into Ukraine-Russia crisis?", https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60131520