The Polish government has officially requested the German government to allow the transfer of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, a move that has been urged by the United States and other NATO countries to boost Kyiv’s forces in their fight against Russia.
Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said in a tweet on Tuesday that the request has been sent to Berlin for approval. He also appealed to Germany to join the coalition of countries supporting Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks, saying this was “our common cause, because it is about the security of the whole of Europe!”
The German government has not yet responded to the request, but Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that a decision would be made soon. He added that if the decision is to send the tanks, Germany would be able to “act very soon.”
Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has accused Germany of “wasting time” by not coming to a decision quickly enough. Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau has also said that Warsaw is “determined” to send tanks regardless of the decisions of other countries.
The Polish government’s request for Germany to allow the transfer of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine has put pressure on Berlin to make a decision. The German government has yet to respond, but Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has said that a decision would be made soon. Meanwhile, Poland is determined to send tanks regardless of the decisions of other countries. It remains to be seen if Germany will approve the transfer of the tanks to Ukraine, and what the consequences of such a move may be.