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Pressure is mounting on Germany to approve the handover, because Poland, for example, has already suggested not to wait for a German authorization if it doesn’t take too long. The advanced Leopard tanks were produced by Germany and, according to German rules, permission from Berlin is required for delivery to Ukraine, for example.
The new German defense minister Boris Pistorius spoke Thursday with his American colleague Lloyd Austin before the meeting at Ramstein, a US air base on German territory. According to media reports, Germany would only send tanks if the US did too, but the Americans would not make that deal. Austin is expected to announce Friday that he will send 100 armored fighting vehicles.
Critical Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky criticized Germany’s hesitation. German tanks are considered the most suitable for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and can also be best supplied with ammunition and spare parts from Europe. Former ground forces commander Mart de Kruif predicts Germany will turn around today. “If so many countries in Europe are going to offer so much, then I can’t imagine Germany lagging behind, because they are not alone.”
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But German correspondent Derk Marseille isn’t sure. “Today seemed like the right time, Germany would tack, but it looks more like it won’t happen today.” According to Marseille, it will be “extremely exciting”. “Now it would be more of a surprise if it turns out today that Germany has already committed.”
De Kruif points out how great the pressure has become. ‘So many countries will provide, so as Germany, a member of the international community, you can’t say: we won’t participate for a while.’ (…) It’s not easy for Ukraine, by the way, they get so many different types of weapon systems that they all need to be maintained. So it won’t be easy. The numbers are correct, but getting everything on the field and maintaining it will be a big challenge.’
Bad news for Putin
According to the former commander, President Putin probably won’t have a good night after today. «He wants one thing: to separate the West. But if Germany gets along with the rest of Europe, we will also show that the unity within Europe is still there. It will be bad news for him.”
The Netherlands is also in favor of supplying tanks to Ukraine. Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren is also present at the Ramstein meeting. Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced earlier this week that the Netherlands wants to participate in the German-American project to send Patriot air defenses to Ukraine.