Polish authorities have officially appealed to Berlin for a permission to supply German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak tweeted.
“I also call on the German side to join the coalition of countries that support Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks. It is our common cause because we are talking about the security of all Europe,” he wrote.
Photo: Błaszczak / Twitter
Germany produces these tanks, its permission is mandatory to supply it to any third countries, including Ukraine. At the same time, Polish President Andrzej Duda has already vowed to send 14 Leopard tanks to Ukraine as part of the first package of aid provided by the international coalition.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on 23 January said that Germany would not oppose supplies of Leopard 2 tanks from third countries to Ukraine. Moreover, French President Emmanuel Macron noted that Paris was considering supplying Leclerc combat tanks to Kyiv.
On 21 January, Der Spiegel reported citing German Defence Ministry sources that the agency had already drafted a list of Leopard tanks which could be sent to Ukraine. The journalists said 19 Leopard 2A5 tanks could possibly be supplied to Kyiv. Moreover, the Baltic States called on Germany to urgently send Leopards to Ukraine.
