Polish PM urges Germany to supply Ukraine with tanks
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Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki says there is no reason to block support for Ukraine and calls on Germany to provide it with all types of weapons.
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People walk past German Leopard 2 tanks ahead of a rehearsal for the Armed Forces Day military parade marking its 100th anniversary, in Vilnius, Lithuania, Friday, Nov. 23, 2018 (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki demanded on Monday, during a visit to Berlin, that Germany give up its opposition to a Warsaw-led initiative to send tanks to Ukraine.
"There is no reason today to block support for Kiev. I call on the German government to act decisively and send all types of weapons to Ukraine," he said.
Read: Scheduled delivery of German Leopard tanks to Kiev set after 2024
Poland is looking to create a coalition of Kiev's allies with the aim of organizing joint hardware deliveries to Ukraine. Allies should not let tanks "rust away in the warehouses," Morawiecki said.
Polish President Andrzej Duda said earlier at a press conference in Lvov that Poland would transfer a company of Leopard tanks to Ukraine as part of an international coalition.
"A company of Leopard tanks will be transferred within the framework of the international coalition. Poland already made such a decision," Duda said, as broadcast by Polish television.
The President underlined that Warsaw must check tick various boxes to ensure that requirements are met before it transfers the tanks to Kiev.
It is worth noting that Poland has been a major supporter of Kiev, delivering more than 240 T-72s to Ukraine since the outbreak of the war.
UK to give Ukraine 'hundreds' of armored vehicles, including 'Bulldogs'
The UK would provide Ukraine with "hundreds" of armored vehicles, including Bulldog armored personnel carriers, UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said.
"Hundreds more armored and protective vehicles will also be sent [to Ukraine], including Bulldog [armored personnel carriers]," he said, speaking in the House of Commons with a statement on Ukraine.
He added that the UK will also send 20 million British pounds ($24 million) worth of minefield clearing and bridge building equipment to Kiev, as well as dozens of UAVs to reinforce the artillery.
Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said Friday that Ukraine has already been receiving heavy weapons from Western donors, and more deliveries are expected in the future.
Read: Poll shows half of Germans against sending tanks to Ukraine
This comes days after the Pentagon announced that the latest military assistance package for Ukraine worth $3.75 billion includes 50 Bradley fighting vehicles, 500 TOW anti-tank missiles, and 250,000 rounds of 22mm ammunition.
