Poland and Britain are considering sending main battle tanks to Ukraine, a move that would end the West’s nearly year-long refusal to deploy some of its most advanced weapons against Russia. and increased pressure on Kyiv’s other allies to follow suit.
Warsaw and London have yet to finalize such a move, but doing so would fulfill a need Kyiv has made since the very beginning of the war and support potential attacks against Russian forces. in the coming months. Poland will ask Berlin to agree to send German-made tanks.
Defense officials in the United States and Europe have long feared that supplying Ukraine with tanks would signal a more direct Western involvement in the war and could embarrass Russian President Vladimir V. Putin. tension escalation.
On Wednesday, Poland’s president said his country was ready to send German-made Leopard II tanks to Ukraine if an “international coalition” agreed to do so. No Western-made battle tanks have been sent to Ukraine since the invasion.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Lviv with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and President Gitanas Nausėda of Lithuania, Polish President Andrzej Duda said Poland had decided to include Leopards as part of the coalition package. Mr. Duda added that he hoped the tanks would “soon move through various routes to reach Ukraine.”
Mr. Duda did not specify which countries could join such a coalition. But Polish officials urged Western nations several times this week to band together and jointly send more modern tanks to bolster Ukraine’s dwindling Soviet-era tank supply.
Germany has long opposed sending offensive weapons to Ukraine for fear of an escalation of the war and has said it would not be the first NATO ally to send tanks. And, in addition to ethical concerns, Germany places limits on its large, lucrative arms exports and re-exports, so Poland or any other country must have an agreement to send give Ukraine German-made Leopards.
Zelensky said on Wednesday that Ukraine expected a “joint decision” on the delivery of the tanks and would receive contributions from several countries to meet the needs of Ukrainian forces. “One country cannot help us with Leopards, because we are fighting against thousands of tanks of the Russian Federation,” he said.
The increased pressure on Berlin comes a day after Britain said it was looking into it send Challenger II tank. No decision has yet been made on whether the Challenger II tanks – believed to be only 10 – will be donated to Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, expressed hope that the floodgates were opened for the West to send battle tanks after France, the United States and Germany quickly agreed last week to send lighter armored fighting vehicles: AMX-10 RC . reconnaissance vehicle from France, M2 Bradley fighting vehicle American and German Marder Infantry Fighting Vehicles.
Germany’s decision to send the Marders marks a significant change in Berlin’s approach, and the armored vehicles the three countries pledge are among the most advanced Ukraine has received since the start of the war. . However, they still lack the capabilities of battle tanks like the Leopards, which analysts say could be the key to Ukraine spiraling out of control. consumable crushing determined the war this winter.
Monika Proncczuk contribution report.
