The German government will send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, it announced, following weeks of diplomatic pressure to make the move.
The decision to send the tanks is a landmark moment in the West’s support for Kyiv that follows days of intense pressure on Berlin from some of its NATO partners. Chancellor Olaf Scholz told his Cabinet of his decision that Germany will further strengthen its military support for Ukraine, German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said. “The Federal Government has decided to make Leopard 2 battle tanks available to the Ukrainian armed forces,” he said.
Poland on Tuesday formally asked for approval from Germany to transfer some of its German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. Several European countries also own some Leopards, and Poland had led an effort to re-export those to Ukraine even if Germany was not on board. Berlin’s announcement comes shortly after United States officials revealed on Tuesday that the Biden administration is finalizing plans to send US-made tanks to Ukraine.
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