PM Morawiecki says Poland may send Leopard tanks to Ukraine without Germany’s permission
- Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Warsaw is building a coalition of nations ready to send Leopards to Kyiv even without Berlin’s consent
- Ukraine has said the German-made tanks are vital if it is to prevail over Russia’s invading forces
“We will ask [Germany] for permission, but this is a secondary theme,” Morawiecki said. “Even if, eventually, we do not get this permission, we – within this small coalition – even if Germany is not in this coalition, we will hand over our tanks, together with the others, to Ukraine.”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told French television channel LCI on Sunday that Poland hasn’t formally asked for Berlin’s approval to share some of its German-made Leopards, but added “if we were asked, we would not stand in the way.”
Regarding Baerbock’s comments, Morawiecki said that “exerting pressure makes sense” and that her words are a “spark of hope” that Germany may even take part in the coalition.
Baerbock “sent a different message that offers a spark of hope that not only Germany will no longer block, but maybe finally will offer heavy, modern equipment in support of Ukraine,” Morawiecki said.
“We are constantly exerting pressure on the government in Berlin to make its Leopards available,” Morawiecki told a news conference in the western city of Poznan.
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According to Morawiecki, Germany has “more than 350 active Leopards and about 200 in storage.”
The Ukrainian government says that tanks, and especially the German-made Leopards, are vital if it is to prevail over the Kremlin’s invading forces.
Baerbock made positive comments about the possibility of sending tanks to Ukraine. German officials “know how important these tanks are” and “this is why we are discussing this now with our partners,” Baerbock said in interview clips posted by LCI.
Ukraine’s supporters pledged billions of dollars in military aid to Kyiv during a meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday.
International defence leaders discussed Ukraine’s urgent request for the Leopard 2 tanks, and the failure to work out an agreement overshadowed the new commitments.
Germany is one of the main donors of weapons to Ukraine, and it ordered a review of its Leopard 2 stocks in preparation for a possible green light. Nonetheless, the government in Berlin has shown caution at each step of increasing its military aid to Ukraine, a hesitancy seen as rooted in its history and political culture.
Germany’s tentativeness has drawn criticism, particularly from Poland and the Baltic states, countries on Nato’s eastern flank that feel especially threatened by Russia’s renewed aggression.
