Germany will authorize tank deliveries to Ukraine
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Forty countries are holding talks at an airbase in southwestern Germany to 'bolster Ukraine's defense capabilities'.
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German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht
Germany is going to authorize the delivery of tanks to Ukraine, according to Berlin's Defense Minister, Christine Lambrecht.
Lambrecht said Tuesday, in a clear shift from Germany's cautious policy on offering military aid to Kiev, that the government has agreed to deliver used Gepard anti-aircraft tanks.
The minister said this in an international meeting of defense ministers, which is being held at the US Ramstein airbase in Germany, according to AFP. The meeting was held at the invitation of the US and is "focused on doing things to generate additional capabilities and capacity for the Ukrainian forces," according to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
France is also going to participate and will deliver Ceasar cannons, which have a range of 40 km, and Britain will for its part provide Ukraine with Starstreak anti-air missiles and tanks.
The tanks that Germany will provide will not come from the army, but from the Krauss-Maffei Wegmann arms group's own stocks. The tanks, however, will need to be technically upgraded, as they were taken out of service 10 years ago.
Despite announcing a "turning point" in Germany's defense policy toward the war, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been heavily criticized, as critics have accused him of weak leadership. A joint proposal of three coalition parties will be presented to Germany's parliament calling for the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine.
The document will also suggest that Ukrainian soldiers be trained in Germany and other NATO countries on operating the new equipment.
