The German government has approved the shipment of Leopard tanks to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and has also given the ‘green light’ to third countries owning these battle tanks to do the same, according to sources consulted by DPA.
After several weeks of pressure on Berlin by Western powers -especially Poland and the Baltic countries-, the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has reportedly agreed to supply these tanks to Ukraine, although there is no official confirmation from the German Executive for the moment.
This was in fact one of the main issues discussed during the last meeting of the Contact Group for Ukraine at the German military base in Ramstein. However, that summit ended without agreement.
The Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, has been one of the main voices urging Germany to at least allow third countries to send to Ukraine these tanks, which are German-made and over which Berlin has the right to veto their export.
In his constant pressure on the German authorities, Zelenski has even assured that Berlin’s indecision was costing human lives, since the Ukrainian Army requires Leopard tanks to face Russian offensives.
Scholz, for his part, had argued the need for a global agreement with the members of the Atlantic Alliance and especially with the United States, which to date has not sent its main battle tanks to Ukraine either.
The situation could have unraveled on Tuesday after Washington reversed its refusal and opened up to sending its Abrams tanks to Kiev, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
