The German foreign minister has announced that Germany will not stand in the way of Poland if it chooses to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine, thus indicating a change of position, writes Reuters.
The decision to send German-made tanks to the war zone may be a turning point in the war. Ukraine has been asking Western countries for heavier weapons, including tanks, for several months, but so far Germany has refused to send its Leopard tanks, and has not allowed other NATO countries to do so either. Western countries’ military aid to Ukraine already amounts to several tens of billions of euros, but it was not possible to convince Germany to lift its veto regarding tanks. Now German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told French media LCI TV:
«For the moment the question has not been asked, but if we were asked we would not stand in the way.»
Meanwhile, US lawmakers are putting pressure on the government, saying even a small number of M1 Abrams would prompt action by European allies. Britain has already decided to deliver 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, and its foreign minister has said that Britain still wants to reach an international agreement on Leopard deliveries. France is also considering the possibility of delivering its tanks to Ukraine.
The Kremlin has stated that the supply of tanks will not change the course of the war, only cause more suffering for Ukrainians. Vyacheslav Volodin, a parliamentarian close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, said on Sunday, the 22nd of January, that supplying Kyiv with weapons that could threaten Russian territory could lead to a disaster.
Eleven months after the start of the Russian invasion, the heaviest fighting has been taking place in eastern Ukraine for several months now. On the 22nd of January the Ministry of Defense of Russia announced that Russian forces are advancing in the vicinity of Zaporizhzhia, however, the Ukrainian army denies this and said that the situation is difficult but stable.
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