Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Netanyahu: If Lebanese Army takes steps to disarm Hezbollah, Israel will engage in reciprocal measures, including phased reduction of Israeli military presence in Lebanon
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Photojournalist Houssam Al-Masri martyred, reporters Hatem Omar, Mohammad Ashraf Salameh injured in Israeli strike on Nasser Medical Complex.
Israeli media: Intense US efforts are being made to resolve differences, such as the issue of the Israeli presence on Mount Hermon and in southern Syria
Israeli media: The security agreement means amending the disengagement agreement, which will also address the Druze issue
Israeli media: Attempts to reach a security agreement between 'Israel' and Syria were among the topics discussed at the Paris meeting
Israeli media: Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif rejected a US proposal to join the recent tripartite meeting between Tom Barrack, al-Shaibani, and Dermer
Saba News Agency: Two martyred, five injured in a preliminary toll of the Israeli aggression on the Yemeni Oil Company station on Al-Sitteen Street in Sanaa
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: We observed a state of confusion among the enemy's aircraft squadron after Yemeni air defenses intercepted the attack
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: The Yemeni air defense forces succeeded in neutralizing a squadron of enemy aircraft and prevented airstrikes on some governorates
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: Our air defenses and missile forces forced a formation of enemy aircraft to flee the airspace

Poland makes official request for Germany's Leopard 2 tanks

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 24 Jan 2023 17:29
3 Min Read

Germany, whose approval is required for Leopard re-exports, has held back, fearful of an escalation of the war in Ukraine.

  • x
  • Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki gestures as he speaks during a joint news conference in Warsaw, Poland February 10, 2022. (REUTERS)
    Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki speaks during a news conference in Poland on February 10, 2022. (Reuters)

Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak on Tuesday said his country had officially requested permission from Germany to transfer its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

"The Germans have already received our request for consent to the transfer of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine," Blaszczak tweeted.

"I also appeal to the German side to join the coalition of countries supporting Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks. This is our common cause because it is about the security of the whole of Europe!''

Niemcy otrzymali już nasz wniosek o wyrażenie zgody na przekazanie czoÅ‚gów Leopard 2 na UkrainÄ™. ApelujÄ™ także do strony niemieckiej o przyłączenie siÄ™ do koalicji paÅ„stw wspierajÄ…cych UkrainÄ™ czoÅ‚gami Leopard 2. To nasza wspólna sprawa, bo chodzi o bezpieczeÅ„stwo caÅ‚ej Europy! pic.twitter.com/9oMQihI83Z

— Mariusz BÅ‚aszczak (@mblaszczak) January 24, 2023

Earlier, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Warsaw believes that Germany would respond quickly to its request to supply German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

Later, Germany said it would decide "shortly" whether to authorize the export of powerful German-made Leopard battle tanks long sought by Kiev, encouraging allies to start training Ukrainian forces to use them.

While Western nations have pledged ever more sophisticated military hardware in recent weeks for Ukraine, all eyes in Kiev are on the battle tanks.

This comes shortly after Berlin announced earlier this week that it will not allow allies to send German-made tanks to Kiev unless Washington agrees to ship to Ukraine its US-made tanks, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Related News

'Israeli hooligans' provocative banner fuels clash with Polish fans

Poland faces scandal over EU funds misuse

However, a few days later, Germany seems to have yielded to its allies' requests with its Foreign Minister announcing that Germany is ready to greenlight Poland to send German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine if Warsaw decides to file the request.

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

Poland stated earlier that it is ready to provide Kiev with 14 Leopard battle tanks, noting that it is in talks with 15 countries on the matter.

Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak announced on Monday that Warsaw had asked Germany for authorization to transfer the tanks to Ukraine.

"I hope that Germany will respond quickly this time because Germany is delaying, postponing, dragging [things] out, acting in a way that is difficult to understand. We clearly see that they do not want to help ... Ukraine extensively," Morawiecki told journalists. 

"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," Morawiecki warned last week.

We are waiting for "a clear statement" from Germany whether countries that own Leopard tanks can send them to Ukraine, he further stressed.

In April last year, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz suggested that sending any Western tanks to Ukraine would increase the risk of a nuclear war between NATO and Russia.

On the other hand, Poland has been staunchly supporting Ukraine against Russia since the beginning of the war, as it has been arming Kiev and receiving vast amounts of Ukrainian refugees.

Read next: US unwilling to supply tanks to Ukraine fearing escalation: FT

  • Poland
  • Leopard II
  • Russia
  • Germany
  • Ukraine
Russia & NATO

Russia & NATO

As the Draconian Western-led sanctions on Russia exacerbate the economic crisis worldwide, and as Russian troops gain more ground despite the influx of military aid into Ukraine, exposing US direct involvement in bio-labs spread across Eastern Europe and the insurgence of neo-Nazi groups… How will things unfold?

Most Read

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of the defense division of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, undated (Social media)

Israeli-born US prosecutor drops Israeli officer child sex crime

  • Politics
  • 19 Aug 2025
Displaced Palestinians walk through a makeshift camp along the beach in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)

Hamas, other factions accept Egypt-Qatar ceasefire proposal: Exclusive

  • Politics
  • 18 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS