Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius gave me details of Germany’s donation of Leopard tanks to Ukraine in a phone call, said Deputy Prime Minister, Chief of the Ministry of National Defense Mariusz Błaszczak. The Polish initiative to support Ukraine with modern armored weapons is entering the implementation phase, he added.
The decision to transfer Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and agree to the transfer of such tanks by other countries was announced by German authorities on Wednesday. In the evening of that day, the head of the Ministry of National Defense announced on Twitter that he had spoken with his German counterpart.
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The Defense Minister of Germany, Boris Pistorius, gave me details of the German donation of Leopard tanks to Ukraine in a telephone conversation. The Polish initiative to support our eastern neighbors with modern armored weapons is entering the implementation phase
– Blaszczak emphasized on Wednesday.
A groundbreaking decision
On Wednesday, Joe Biden announced the transfer of 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine – the base tanks used by the US military, also ordered for the Polish army.
Earlier that day, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit announced a similar decision by Berlin. In the first phase, Germany wants to support Ukraine with 14 Leopard 2 tanks. As Hebestreit added, Germany’s goal is to quickly complete two battalions with Leopard 2 tanks, which amounts to almost 90 machines.
The transfer of a company of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine was also announced in Lviv by President Duda in early January. He then called on other countries using Leopard 2s – such as Germany, Scandinavian countries, Spain or Portugal – to join the international coalition on the issue. Norway announced the transfer of an undetermined number of Leopards on Wednesday. In addition, the British authorities declared the transfer of their Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine.
gah/PAP
Source: wPolityce
Emma Matthew is a political analyst for “Social Bites”. With a keen understanding of the inner workings of government and a passion for politics, she provides insightful and informative coverage of the latest political developments.