21-01-2023, 08:58 AM
Germany refused to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine after an “historic” summit failed to bridge deep divides with the US and other allies.
Despite five hours of talks and concerted pressure from the US, Britain, France, Spain, Finland and Poland, Germany dashed hopes of a breakthrough to bolster Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s forces.
”We still cannot say when a decision will be taken, and what the decision will be, when it comes to the Leopard tank,” German Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius told reporters following talks between defence ministers from 50 nations.
Germany has so far refused to send any of its own tanks or clear the way for other armies to send them, but Pistorius yesterday said the idea that Germany was “standing in the way” of “a united coalition” was wrong.
Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, has so far refused to grant export licenses to the European countries that want to send their Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, including Poland and Finland, for fear of provoking Russian President Vladimir Putin into spreading the war to the West.
Earlier in the week, Scholz told US President Joe Biden he would only allow Leopards to be delivered if Biden sent Ukraine M1 Abrams tanks, which Washington has ruled out because they are costly and hard to maintain.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/russia-...ZV7ML5QBI/
Despite five hours of talks and concerted pressure from the US, Britain, France, Spain, Finland and Poland, Germany dashed hopes of a breakthrough to bolster Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s forces.
”We still cannot say when a decision will be taken, and what the decision will be, when it comes to the Leopard tank,” German Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius told reporters following talks between defence ministers from 50 nations.
Germany has so far refused to send any of its own tanks or clear the way for other armies to send them, but Pistorius yesterday said the idea that Germany was “standing in the way” of “a united coalition” was wrong.
Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, has so far refused to grant export licenses to the European countries that want to send their Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, including Poland and Finland, for fear of provoking Russian President Vladimir Putin into spreading the war to the West.
Earlier in the week, Scholz told US President Joe Biden he would only allow Leopards to be delivered if Biden sent Ukraine M1 Abrams tanks, which Washington has ruled out because they are costly and hard to maintain.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/russia-...ZV7ML5QBI/
