1 year ago
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Image source, Reuters
By Antoinette Radford
BBC News
Germany has not yet decided whether to nonstop Leopard tanks to Ukraine, oregon let different countries to donate theirs, contempt unit connected Berlin to act.
A gathering connected Friday to co-ordinate subject donations for Kyiv agreed to proviso much armoured vehicles and aerial defence systems.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier appealed for the West to nonstop tanks to repel Russia's equipped forces.
Poland's overseas curate criticised Germany's reluctance to nonstop tanks.
"Arming Ukraine successful bid to repel the Russian aggression is not immoderate benignant of decision-making exercise. Ukrainian humor is shed for real. This is the terms of hesitation implicit Leopard deliveries. We request action, now," Zbigniew Rau wrote connected Twitter.
Despite Germany's deficiency of determination connected sending tanks, Western countries person committed billions successful different weaponry.
Ukraine wants German-made Leopard 2s arsenic they are casual to support and designed specifically to vie with the Russian T-90 tanks.
That Russian instrumentality continues to beryllium utilized by the invading forces, the BBC's James Waterhouse reported.
There are believed to beryllium much than 2,000 Leopard 2 tanks worldwide and President Zelensky believes astir 300 of them would assistance guarantee it tin decision Russia.
However, nether German export laws, different countries who privation to proviso Leopard 2s - similar Poland and Finland - are incapable to bash truthful until Berlin gives the all-clear.
Earlier this week Germany was reported to person made a determination connected providing the tanks - which would beryllium done connected the information the US agreed to nonstop its precocious M1 Abrams main conflict tank.
But speaking aft Friday's gathering of 54 countries' defence officials and ministers astatine Ramstein aerial basal successful Germany, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin denied Berlin was waiting connected the US to marque the archetypal move.
"This conception of unlocking - successful my caput it's not an issue," helium said.
Speaking of Germany's wider publication to the defence of Ukraine, Mr Austin, said: "They are a reliable ally, they've been that mode for a very, precise agelong clip and I genuinely judge that they'll proceed to beryllium a reliable state going forward."
He told reporters different countries were providing tanks to Ukraine: "I don't person immoderate announcements to marque connected M1s [Abrams] and you heard the German curate of defence accidental that they've not made a determination connected Leopards."
Some of those other countries who person committed to sending tanks to Ukraine see the UK which volition nonstop 14 Challenger 2 tanks.
Despite hesitation implicit the Abrams tanks, the US announced caller enactment worthy much than $2.5bn (£2bn) this week, including armoured vehicles.
The Pentagon promised an other 59 Bradley armoured vehicles, 90 Stryker unit carriers and Avenger aerial defence systems, among different supplies.
Nine European nations person besides promised much enactment of their ain aft gathering connected Thursday successful Estonia. They included:
- UK - 600 Brimstone missiles
- Denmark - 19 French-made Caesar self-propelled howitzers (cannon)
- Estonia - howitzers, ammunition, enactment vehicles and anti-tank grenade launchers
- Latvia - Stinger air-defence systems, 2 helicopters, and drones
- Lithuania - anti-aircraft guns and 2 helicopters
- Poland - S-60 anti-aircraft guns with 70,000 pieces of ammunition
- Czech Republic - nutrient further ample calibre ammunition, howitzers and APCs
- Netherlands - enactment expected to beryllium elaborate connected Friday
English (US)