Sometimes you shouldn’t weigh up or compare, Selenkskyj said on Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, “when you say, for example: ‘I give tanks if someone else gives tanks as well. I am powerful in Europe, I will help if someone outside of Europe also helps.’”
“It seems to me that this is not a very correct strategy,” said Zelenskyj, who was involved in a debate. He did not mention the name of the German Chancellor. According to media reports, Scholz is ready to allow the delivery of Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine – but only if the US makes its Abrams main battle tanks available. US President Joe Biden has apparently not yet committed himself to this in a telephone call with Scholz on Tuesday.
Germany with a key role
In the debate on arms deliveries since the beginning of the war, Scholz had always emphasized that Germany was not going it alone, but was coordinating with partners such as France and the USA. In the past few days, however, the pressure on Scholz to make a decision has increased significantly.
Germany plays a key role in the debate because the Leopard tanks were developed in Germany. As a rule, the transfer of armaments from German production to third parties must be approved. Ukraine has been resisting Russian attacks for almost eleven months and is largely dependent on Western support for military equipment.
The new German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) announced on Thursday close coordination with the US on the issue of further arms deliveries to Ukraine. In view of the Russian war of aggression, both NATO countries stand “as so often in history (…) shoulder to shoulder in action,” said Pistorius during the visit of US Secretary of State Lloyd Austin in Berlin. This can be seen in the weapon systems promised to Ukraine so far, such as armored personnel carriers and Patriot air defense systems. However, Pistorius did not comment on the delivery of the main battle tanks.
Pentagon is optimistic
However, according to a CNN report, the US government is optimistic that Germany will agree to the delivery of Leopard main battle tanks. “We are very optimistic that we will make progress on this issue by the end of the week,” the US broadcaster quoted a senior Pentagon official as saying on Wednesday (local time). Austin will urge the German side to allow the shipment to enable Ukraine to counter a potential spring offensive by Russia.
“We’re really opening the door to create this capability at a pivotal moment,” it said. Austin arrived in Berlin on Wednesday evening to discuss further support for Ukraine’s defense against Russia. On Friday, the defense ministers of several dozen countries will meet at the US air base in Ramstein in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate to discuss further military support for Ukraine. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expects a signal from the meeting that there will be “more heavier weapons and more modern weapons” for Ukraine.
Meeting also in Estonia
Before the meeting in Ramstein, representatives of several countries – including the defense ministers of Poland, Latvia and Lithuania – will meet at the Estonian military base Tapa on the initiative of Estonia’s Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur and his British counterpart Ben Wallace. There they want to present their latest aid packages for Kyiv.
According to a US government official, the United States wants to launch a new aid package for Ukraine worth more than two billion dollars. The government in Washington intends to approve this shortly, and the announcement could be made at the Ramstein meeting on Friday. The package is expected to include Stryker wheeled infantry fighting vehicles for Kyiv, but not the M1 Abrams main battle tank – a condition imposed by Germany for the delivery of Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine.
Kyiv: We don’t have time
In Kyiv, meanwhile, Zelensky and the head of the presidential office, Andriy Yermak, once again pushed for the delivery of battle tanks before the meeting in Ramstein. “The issue of tanks for Ukraine should be resolved as soon as possible,” Yermak wrote on Telegram on Thursday. The same applies to additional air defense systems. “We don’t have time, the world doesn’t have that time either,” emphasized Yermak. Hesitation costs Ukrainian lives.
Pevkur also called on Germany and other allies to deliver modern weapon systems to Ukraine. “Estonia strongly supports providing Ukraine with all necessary military equipment to win this war, including heavy equipment such as Leopard tanks,” he told dpa before the Tapa meeting. This must be done “immediately”. “The outcome of this war will determine the future of our common security,” Pevkur said.
14 main battle tanks from Great Britain
Great Britain announced at the weekend that it would make 14 Challenger 2 main battle tanks available to Ukraine. Poland and Finland agreed to supply Leopard tanks in the European network.
Meanwhile, Sweden announced further military aid to Ukraine. The government wants to deliver 50 armored personnel carriers to the country. In addition, the Swedish troops were instructed to prepare the delivery of the Archer artillery system. A specific number was not given. Sweden has 48 Archer systems.
According to the information, the new Swedish support package has a total volume of almost 390 million euros. Sweden currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU. The country has also applied for NATO membership.
Medvedev is talking about nuclear war
Before the meeting in Ramstein, former Russian President and deputy of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin in the Russian National Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, renewed nuclear threats. At Ramstein, NATO countries planned to supply Ukraine with new heavy weapons. “None of these miserables enters the head to draw the next elementary conclusion: the defeat of a nuclear power in a conventional war can trigger the start of a nuclear war,” Medvedev threatened on his Telegram channel on Thursday. Nuclear powers do not lose major conflicts, said Medvedev.
