01/12/2023 3:29 pm (act. 01/12/2023 03:40 pm)
Poland to deliver German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine ©APA/AFP
In the debate over the main Leopard main battle tanks for Ukraine, the pressure on the German government is mounting. Poland also wants to supply Ukraine with German-made Leopard tanks as part of an “international coalition”. German Economy Minister Robert Habeck (the Greens) has been fundamentally open to Poland’s plans. A US-led meeting in Ramstein, Rhineland-Palatinate, later next week could shed more light.
Germany “must not get in the way when other countries make decisions to support Ukraine,” Habeck said on Thursday in Berlin, in response to a journalist’s question about the Polish announcement. This applies “regardless of what decisions Germany takes”. Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) also does not rule out the delivery of German Leopard-type main battle tanks to Ukraine.
The German federal government has not yet taken a decision on this, Lambrecht emphasized during a visit by the Bundeswehr to Marienberg, Saxony. But Germany is not going it alone, he says. Habeck also remains true to this line: “We make our decisions in alliance with other partners and countries,” he said on Thursday. However, a distinction must be made between Germany’s surrender decisions and other countries’ plans to support Ukraine.
According to British media reports, Britain wants to participate in tank deliveries – albeit with ten of its own Challenger 2 main battle tanks. Several European countries also have German-made Leopard tanks. According to an EU representative, there are about 2,000 tanks of this type in 13 countries: in addition to Germany and Poland, they include the EU countries Austria, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. Outside the EU, the NATO countries Norway and Turkey also have Leopard tanks, as does neutral Switzerland.
On January 20, at the US military base in Rhineland-Palatinate, the 30 NATO states and other countries in the so-called Ukraine Contact Group discussed increasing military aid to Ukraine. The meeting will be chaired by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. In addition to tanks, it is also about strengthening the Ukrainian air defense. Lithuania promised Kyiv its Zenit air defense system.
Ukraine has long demanded the delivery of Leopard tanks. On Wednesday, Polish President Andrzej Duda, speaking jointly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said his country was ready to supply these main battle tanks as part of an international coalition. However, this requires approval from the manufacturing country, Germany. After much hesitation, the German government recently decided to supply Ukraine with Marder armored personnel carriers, but has so far refused to supply the Leopard main battle tanks.
Hundreds of Bundeswehr troops will also arrive in Poland next week to operate the announced Patriot air defense systems that Germany is making available to Poland. Duda signed a corresponding document, the Polish public broadcaster’s news agency reported on Friday. Three firefighter units will be stationed in Lublin Voivodeship in the south-east of the country, and one system will be delivered to Ukraine.
According to a government spokesman, Poland wants to persuade other countries to act with its effort to supply Leopard main battle tanks. When asked why Warsaw was the first to signal its willingness to hand over tanks, government spokesman Piotr Müller told TVP Info on Thursday: “Because we want to impose certain behaviors. If we don’t defend Ukraine’s independence, We’ll be the next target.” Poland therefore wants Ukraine to be able to defend itself, and for that it needs equipment. “This kind of political pressure should lead to the adhesion of other European countries”, said Müller.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) only confirmed on Monday at an election rally in Berlin that Germany “would not go it alone”. The war must not become a confrontation between Russia and NATO. All steps would therefore be coordinated with the US. “Anything else would be irresponsible in such a dangerous situation.” The delivery of Marder and Bradley armored personnel carriers and several rocket launchers had previously been coordinated with the US and Great Britain.
In Poland, as in Germany, a Leopard company is usually equipped with 14 main battle tanks. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin invited members of the so-called Ukraine Contact Group to a meeting on January 20 at Ramstein Air Base in Rhineland-Palatinate. It should go to the additional help of the weapon. In addition to the US, Germany and Great Britain also belong to the Ukraine contact group.
Meanwhile, a large number of US military tanks and vehicles arrived at the Dutch port of Vlissingen on Wednesday. The device will be deployed on NATO’s eastern flank in Poland and Lithuania. A total of about 1,250 military devices are expected, US military officer Robert Kellam said on Wednesday. These include US Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and the M-1 Abrams main battle tank.