UK plans to provide tanks to Ukraine do not change Germany's position

London's plans to deliver British-made Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine have not changed the position of the German government, which has so far refused to hand over German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv.

Source: Politico, citing Steffen Gebestreit, the spokesman for the German Government; European Pravda

Details: Poland has suggested that German-made Leopard tanks be supplied to Ukraine through a wider alliance of European countries. To make this happen, Berlin must agree to re-export German-made weapons. The UK government has also confirmed that it is planning to provide tanks to Ukraine.

Quote: "There is no change in the situation now because of the step that the British government has announced," Gebestreit said at a press conference in Berlin.

Details: He added that, as he said earlier on 9 January, he was not aware of any official requests from partner countries to jointly supply Leopard tanks to the Ukrainian army.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, two German officials said that Chancellor Olaf Scholz's position is heavily influenced by US President Joe Biden, with whom the Chancellor has already closely coordinated when he issued a joint statement last week announcing the joint delivery of German- and US-made infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine.

At an election rally in Berlin on 9 January, Scholz stressed the importance of discussing arms deliveries with the US president, saying that the supply of tanks to Ukraine should be discussed "together with friends and allies and especially with our transatlantic partner, with the United States of America."

Nevertheless, the British plans, which are expected to be officially announced at a meeting at the Ramstein military base in Germany on 20 January, are likely to increase pressure on Scholz, as the UK will be the first country to supply Ukraine with modern Western-made battle tanks.

On 11 January, Downing Street said that Ben Wallace, British Defence Secretary, was in talks with Western allies on how to send "game-changing" tanks to Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials have suggested that the US send a few Abrams tanks, as many as five, to spur Europe into action, a source familiar with the US-Ukraine talks said, but the Pentagon has not agreed to the idea.

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