One of the countries officially applied to Berlin for permission to supply Leopard 2 to Ukraine – Wallace
One of the countries that is armed with German-made Leopard tanks has officially requested permission from Berlin to supply this heavy equipment to Ukraine.
British Defense Minister Ben Wallace told the Sky News channel about it.
He did not specify which country he was talking about, but journalists assume that it is probably Poland, which has clearly stated its intention to send Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine.
– As far as I understand, the official request from the country arrived today. I don’t know any additional details about who or what. And, obviously, this is a process that needs to be worked out, – Wallace said after talks with 10 allies at a military base in Estonia.
The minister also responded to a question about whether he thought Germany should approve a request for Leopard 2 main battle tanks.
– I want as many tanks as possible to support Ukraine’s efforts in 2023. There is no secret in this. If we want to send a message to the Kremlin that we are not giving up, that we are doubling down, tanks are part of that, – Wallace emphasized.
The minister agreed with the opinion that the most difficult battle in Ukraine is yet to come. According to Wallace, if last year it was about defense and exhaustion of the Russian army, then this year it is about ousting the invaders from Ukrainian territory.
As you know, a number of countries that are armed with Leopard 2 tanks are ready to transfer some of them to Ukraine. However, for this it is necessary to obtain the permission of the country producing weapons, that is, Germany.
Official Berlin, despite pressure from Ukraine’s partners, was in no hurry to make a decision. This issue is expected to be resolved on January 20 during a Ramstein-style meeting.
In this regard, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, called on Germany to give the green light to the supply of tanks.
According to the forecast of Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas, several countries will announce the delivery of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine at a meeting of defense ministers at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany. And the total number of armored vehicles provided will reach hundreds of units.
