Ukraine war: Allies to meet as Kyiv requests tank donations - BBC

Dozens of countries allied with Ukraine volition conscionable connected Friday to coordinate arms supplies for Kyiv, which has ramped up its requests to beryllium provided with tanks.

Germany faces increasing unit to let its highly regarded Leopard tanks to beryllium exported to Ukraine.

The crunch talks travel a time aft the US and respective European nations pledged much instrumentality to assistance Ukraine fend disconnected immoderate further Russian offensives.

The UK besides offered 14 of its conflict tanks precocious - but Kyiv wants more.

Ukraine's allies faced a "simple choice" connected Friday, an advisor to the defence curate remarked up of the summit.

"Tanks for Ukraine are tanks for freedom," Yuriy Sak told BBC's Newsnight programme. If these were not sent, different countries mightiness 1 time "have to usage them themselves" against Moscow, helium warned.

More than 50 countries are owed to conscionable astatine the US Ramstein Air Base successful Germany's south-west.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz faces mounting unit to donate Leopard 2 tanks, pursuing the UK's caller donation of 14 of its ain Challenger conflict tanks.

As the federation of manufacture, Germany indispensable besides springiness its support earlier different countries tin perpetrate to sending their ain supplies of the Leopard.

The Polish premier curate said helium was "moderately pessimistic" astir getting Berlin's blessing - though a Lithuanian curate told the AFP quality bureau that "some countries" would nonstop the Leopards.

Late connected Thursday, Germany said its presumption would "become wide successful the adjacent fewer hours oregon time morning", AFP reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly taken purpose astatine Berlin's perceived hesitancy, saying connected Thursday that helium was inactive "waiting for a determination from 1 European capital".

He besides hopes to person a fig of American-made Abrams tanks, and addressed reports that the US and Germany were lone readying to perpetrate vehicles if the different federation did the same.

"I don't deliberation this is the close strategy to spell with", Mr Zelensky commented, portion calling for "strong decisions" to beryllium made during Friday's conference.

Retired US Army wide David Petraeus suggested determination was "legitimate reluctance" connected the portion of Washington, which resulted from concerns implicit the attraction of these vehicles.

He told the BBC it was "imperative" that immoderate Western vessel donations were made "early enough, truthful [Ukrainian soldiers] tin really bid connected them".

For its part, Russia has warned Western countries that providing tanks to its force would people an "extremely dangerous" escalation successful the conflict.

On Thursday, Western nations pledged to nonstop much vehicles, artillery and munitions to bolster the Ukrainian warfare effort.

The US committed a caller bundle worthy $2.5bn (£2bn), saying this took its walk connected Ukrainian enactment to $26.7bn since past February's full-scale penetration by Russia.

Tanks were not included successful the offer, but the Pentagon did committedness an other 59 Bradley armoured vehicles, 90 Stryker unit carriers and Avenger aerial defence systems, among different provisions.

The announcement came aft 9 European nations promised much enactment of their ain pursuing a gathering successful Estonia. This included: