Germany has given the green light! Poland to supply Ukraine with Leopard tanks

When French television correspondent LCI asked German Foreign Minister Baerbock what would happen if Poland handed over Leopard tanks to Ukraine, “This question is not asked at the moment, but if it was, we would not have prevented it,” he said. .

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki also shared on Twitter: “We will not support the situation in Ukraine. If we cannot reach an agreement with Germany on the leopards, we will form a smaller coalition of countries ready to donate some of their modern tanks to war-torn Ukraine.” he used the phrase.

This statement by Foreign Minister Baerbock was interpreted by the German press as “Giving the green light for Leopard tanks for Ukraine”.

The foreign ministers of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia also called on Germany to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

The ministers of the three countries wrote on their Twitter accounts: “We ask Germany to supply Leopard tanks to Ukraine. This is necessary in order to stop Russian aggression, help Ukraine and quickly restore peace in Europe. As Europe’s leading power, Germany has a special responsibility in this regard.” had shared.

LEOPARD TANKS

German-produced Leopard tanks are available in EU and NATO countries such as Denmark, Finland, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Spain, the Czech Republic, Turkey and Hungary.

There are approximately 2,670 Leopard 2 tanks in service with various armies around the world. Weighing approximately 64 tons, Leopard tanks can reach speeds of up to 70 kilometers per hour and can hit targets up to 5,000 meters away with their 120-millimeter smoothbore gun.

European allies such as Poland and Finland had declared that they were ready to send these tanks to the Ukraine and awaited approval from Berlin. However, since Leopard tanks are made in Germany, German approval is required for use in other countries such as Ukraine. (AA)