Ukraine’s allies are meeting tomorrow at Ramstein Air Base in Germany to discuss military support for Kiev. Defense leaders from about fifty countries are present, the central question is whether countries will send heavier weapons and tanks to Ukraine.
The so-called Contact Group for the Defense of Ukraine it has met with some regularity since the beginning of the war, but with growing rumors of a possible new Russian attack, today’s consultations are under added pressure. The meeting will be chaired by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Although NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will also be present, he stresses that the consultations and agreements concluded there are not part of NATO policy.
Germany, France and the United Kingdom in particular have already announced that they will supply heavier weapons, including the Challenger and Leopard tanks, which Ukraine has been asking for for months. Germany remains reluctant, pressure on Berlin to supply Leopard main battle tanks is mounting. For now, Germany is cautiously saying “yes,” and only if the United States also starts supplying.
The United States has certainly provided nearly $50 billion in aid to Ukraine. An additional amount of more than 35 billion could be added. Germany has so far provided more than 12.6 billion euros in aid to Ukraine for the war against Russia.
Germany itself could supply these tanks, but other countries also depend on Germany to support Ukraine with their tanks. Countries that also have Leopards must first get permission from Germany before they can deliver their copies to Ukraine, as Germany is the manufacturer of the tanks.
Twelve countries
If it is up to Ukraine, twelve Western countries will supply Leopard tanks. The Netherlands is also on the list of countries called upon to send German-made tanks “in view of the urgency of strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities”. However, the Netherlands itself does not own any modern Leopard 2 tanks, the army leases eighteen from Germany.
“We guarantee that we will use these weapons responsibly and exclusively for the defense of the territorial integrity of Ukraine,” said Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuliba and Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov. The other affected countries are Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.
Hundreds
Ukraine itself is expressly asking for several hundred Leopard-2 tanks. The question is whether they will get it. The Dutch cabinet is willing to pay for tanks that other countries send to Ukraine. For example, the Netherlands has previously helped deliver old Soviet tanks from the Czech Republic to Ukraine.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
