Germany pressured to supply Ukraine with tanks

Scholz is under pressure added by his European allies for authorising the export of Leopard-like tanks produced in Germany.

The “essentially must be the United States and Germany. There is no doubt about this”, Meks told the AFP news agency on January 19th, after meeting a day earlier with Scholz at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

European Council President Charles Michel said he strongly believes “that Ukraine should be supplied with tanks, in a statement after his meeting in Kiev with Ukraine's president, Voldymyr Zelensky.

“We hear your message. You need more air defense and artillery systems, more weapons”, he said on Twitter. “I strongly believe tanks should be sent”.

Meanwhile, a group of nine countries including Great Britain, Poland and the Netherlands pledged that they would aim for supplies with an unprecedented “paco donations”, including military tanks to help Ukraine in the conflict with Russia.

“We are dedicated together to send an unprecedented package of donations, including combat tanks, heavy artillery, air protection, ammunition and infantry combat equipment”, it says in their statement.

These recent developments add pressure on Germany and newly appointed Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, who met with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on January 19th.

American officials have said Austin was expected to pressure his German counterpart to allow the transfer of tanks produced in Germany.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier promised further military support for Ukraine on January 19th and warned Minister Pistorius that Germany's armed forces should be able to defend the country again. / REL/