Germany ready to greenlight Poland on Leopard delivery: FM

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
23 Jan 00:13

Germany complies after having been subjected to harsh criticism for resisting pressures to supply Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock. (AP)

Germany 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.

"If we are asked the question, then we will not stand in the way," Baerbock told LCI television after a Franco-German summit meeting in Paris.

"We know how important these tanks are and this is why we are discussing this now with our partners. We need to make sure people's lives are saved and Ukraine's territory liberated," she added, noting that Poland has yet to make the request.

This comes in the backdrop of heavy criticism Germany has been subjected to for resisting pressures to supply Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

Poland has previously stated that it was ready to provide Kiev with 14 Leopard battle tanks, noting that it is in talks with 15 countries on the matter, but Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said he was waiting for "a clear statement" from Germany whether countries that own Leopard tanks can send them to Ukraine.

The Polish Prime Minister also slammed Berlin's "attitude" on sending its Leopard 2 main battle tank to Ukraine as "unacceptable".

"Innocent people are dying every day," told the PAP agency.

The foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania urged Berlin on Saturday to immediately provide Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

Germany indicated earlier this week that it would agree on the condition that the US provided tanks as well, but Washington has excused itself from sending Abrams tanks on grounds of difficulty in training and maintenance.

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