Berlin not blocking tank deliveries to Kiev: Borrell
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EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell says Berlin was not blocking the supply of Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
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Soldiers of the NATO enhanced forward presence battalion with German Leopard 2 tank take part in the NATO military exercise at the Rukla military base some 130 kms (80 miles) west of the capital Vilnius, Lithuania, Friday, Aug. 11, 2017 (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Monday that German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had confirmed at a meeting of the EU Council of Foreign Ministers that Berlin was not blocking the supply of Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
Germany is prepared to meet countries' requests for German-made tanks' supply to Ukraine if any, Annalena Baerbock, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany told reporters on Sunday.
Earlier, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that Poland could transfer its Leopard tanks to Ukraine without waiting for Germany's consent.
"Today, we discussed all of that, and of course, the [German] foreign affairs minister has already said before that Germany is not blocking other countries from doing this. Other countries that wish to export their Leopard tanks can do so. So, Germany is not blocking exports of Leopard tanks," Borrell said following the meeting of foreign ministers.
A spokesperson for the German government said on Monday that so far no request has been filed by Poland to send its German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
The statement comes after Germany's Foreign Minister announced earlier that Berlin is ready to permit the previously opposed transfer.
Read: Poll shows half of Germans against sending tanks to Ukraine
Berlin has been facing increased pressure from its western allies to allow sending the Leopard tanks to Ukraine, whether by Germany or other countries that own the advanced battle tank.
Despite announcing earlier last week that it will not allow allies to send German-made tanks to Kiev unless Washington agrees to ship to Ukraine its US-made Abrams tanks, Germany's Foreign Minister said on Sunday her country is ready to greenlight Poland to send German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine if Warsaw decides to file the request, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Sunday.
Read: Poland slams German stance on Leopard tanks to Kiev as 'unacceptable'
It's worth noting that Morawiecki warned a few days ago that if Germany refuses to send its tanks to Kiev, "we will set up a 'small coalition' of countries ready to donate some of their modern equipment, their modern tanks."
The German army has already given up most of its Leopard tanks of older designs and exported them to Turkey, Greece, and Denmark, among other clients. The army still possesses around 300 modern versions but they reportedly have no plans of selling them. The army refused to provide additional details on the strengths, and equipment of associations, or units.
