Bundestag fails to vote for supply of Leopard tanks to Ukraine

The majority of German Bundestag factions opposed the CDU/CSU conservatives' proposal to put the issue of providing Ukraine with Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 battle tanks to a vote.

Source: European Pravda

The CDU/CSU parliamentary group said that Ukraine should receive Leopard main battle tanks. In their proposal, the conservatives called on the German federal government to grant industry and third countries permission to export the Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 battle tanks.

In addition, there is a call to prepare for the supply of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine from Bundeswehr warehouses and to purchase new tanks for the Bundeswehr. 

Moreover, the draft decision notes that it is necessary to provide logistical support to Ukraine with spare parts, ammunition, and offensive training together with industry and third countries that have Leopard tanks in the long term.

The Bundestag referred the proposal of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group on the supply of German Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 battle tanks to the Committee on Foreign Affairs for further discussion after several hours of debate.

The CDU/CSU demanded an immediate vote but failed due to the votes of the factions of the ruling coalition: the Social Democrats, the Greens and the Free Democrats, as well as the extreme Alternative for Germany and the Left.

At the same time, both the conservatives and the three factions of the ruling coalition advocated the continuation of military support for Ukraine. Traditionally, the far-right and far-left spoke against it.

Earlier, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki hinted that Warsaw may hand over a company of German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine without Berlin's consent if it waits too long for approval.

Since Leopard tanks are manufactured by a German defence concern, their transfer to non-NATO countries requires German consent. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz publicly declares that he is in favour of supplying tanks jointly with the United States.

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