German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock caused a surprise on Sunday: she announced that Germany will not block exports of Leopard tanks from third countries to Ukraine. Poland wants to supply tanks, but so far German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s hesitant attitude has stood in the way. This could now change.
“At the moment the question has not been asked, but if we were asked, we would not stand in the way,” Green politician Baerbock told French TV channel LCI. She had been asked what would happen if Poland supplied Leopard tanks to Ukraine (see tweet below).
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron, on the other hand, did not want to commit to the Franco-German Council of Ministers in Paris whether Germany and France would supply main battle tanks to Ukraine.
Poland: Germany’s position “unacceptable”
Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has harshly criticized German Chancellor Scholz’s continued reluctance to supply Ukraine with Leopard tanks. Germany’s position on the issue is “unacceptable,” Morawiecki said in an interview published Sunday with the Polish news agency PAP.
If the German government persists in not supplying Ukraine with the main battle tank Leopard 2, Poland will put together “a small coalition” of countries that will supply Ukraine with “modern equipment” and “modern tanks” from their own stock. Polish head of government.
Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania this weekend called on Germany to quickly release German Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine. The British government also agreed. The pressure to supply such tanks remained even after new aid from Western countries worth billions to Ukraine. In Berlin, the traffic light coalition partners SPD, Greens and FDP blamed each other.
Berlin approval required
Before the meeting of the Ukraine contact group in Ramstein, Germany, Poland had already stated that it wanted to hand over Leopard tanks from its stock to Ukraine. However, since the tanks are German-made, Berlin would have to give its consent.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
