According to the TV channel, Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands are among those ready to send tanks to UkraineNEW YORK, January 24.
/tass/. Twelve countries agree to supply Ukraine with about 100 Leopard 2 tanks if Germany, in turn, gives its permission for re-export. This was reported on Tuesday by ABC TV channel with reference to a Ukrainian official.
According to him, 12 countries gave their consent on Friday at the US Armed Forces Ramstein base in Germany. Poland and Finland publicly announced their intention to supply tanks to Kiev. According to the source, Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands are also among those ready to send tanks to Ukraine.
The ABC interlocutor also said that Ukraine needs Leopard, since the shells for the Soviet tanks available to Kiev are "running out." He noted that Ukraine cannot produce such shells and therefore was forced to "look for an alternative way."
The source pointed out that Kiev takes into account that the meeting of NATO defense ministers in Ramstein took place on the second day after the inauguration of German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. Therefore, the channel's interlocutor pointed out, Ukraine realizes that now is "not the time to put pressure on the newly appointed defense minister."
Pistorius on Tuesday, before talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Berlin, said that Germany could not yet provide news on possible Leopard supplies to Ukraine, a decision in favor or against would be made later. At the same time, the minister refuted the opinion that only Germany is slowing down the process of transferring tanks to Ukraine.
On January 20, a regular meeting of defense ministers of about 50 countries was held at the American Ramstein airbase in Germany, following which Pistorius said that the participants had not yet made a decision on the supply of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. According to Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Warsaw will form an alternative coalition of countries ready to supply tanks to Ukraine if Germany does not agree to the transfer of armored vehicles. According to him, the republic has already decided to supply Ukraine with a tank company (up to 14 vehicles) and will act at its discretion, regardless of Berlin's position.
