Debate over “Leopard 2” delivery: Baltic foreign ministers appeal to Scholes

Status: 01/21/2023 5:03 pm

International pressure on Germany to supply “Leopard 2” tanks, or tanks of that type, continues to mount. Now the foreign ministers of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania have warned.

The foreign ministers of the Baltic states asked Germany to supply “Leopard 2” tanks to Ukraine.

“It is necessary to stop Russian aggression, help Ukraine and quickly restore peace in Europe,” Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Ringkevics wrote on Twitter – on behalf of his colleagues from Estonia and Lithuania, according to his own statements. “As a leading European power, Germany has a special responsibility in this regard.”

Podoliak: Global indecision is killing Ukrainians

Mykhailo Podoliak, an aide to Ukraine’s president, wrote on Twitter that “global indecision” on the issue is “killing more of our people.” “Every day of delay is death for Ukrainians.”

According to an adviser to the head of state of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, the supporting countries will eventually provide Ukraine with battle tanks. “You will help Ukraine anyway with the necessary weapons, realizing there is no other way to end the war,” Podoliak tweeted.

In view of statements from Germany and other countries that the supply of battle tanks still needs to be verified, the presidential adviser concluded his message with the words “think fast”.

McGeeve: “No time to check, think, hesitate”

Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, urged the central government to immediately pave the way for the immediate delivery of “Leopard 2” battle tanks. “We need German tanks – now,” he told the dpa news agency. “We don’t have time to check, to think, to hesitate. What we need is to: decide, train and deliver in a coordinated manner. Instantly.”

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McKeeve was disappointed with the outcome of the Ramstein conference. “I have to be honest, we expect a lot more from our German partners.” President Volodymyr Zelensky also made it clear at the conference that it was up to Germany whether or not the tanks were delivered. Making training for the Ukrainian armed forces is now important, as well as allowing Germany to supply tanks to other countries, Mackiew said. The ambassador welcomed the promise of billions of euros worth of military equipment at Ramstein. Ukraine will now continue to supply tanks. “We continue to wait,” McKeeve said.

Training should begin in Poland

According to media reports, even without a decision from the German side, Ukraine wants to train soldiers on tanks. It will be held in Poland. Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov agreed with several countries.

“We will start from that and then continue,” he was quoted as saying by Ukrainian-language American broadcaster “Voice of America.” Resnikov described the development of the training as a turning point and attributed the success to Poland’s efforts.

No progress on Rammstein

Friday at the Ukraine conference in Ramstein Billions more in aid to Russia-occupied country agreed – But “Leopard 2” tanks are not provided.

New federal defense minister Boris Pistorius first ordered a stockpile of Panther tanks for possible supply to Ukraine. In addition, the participants of the Ukraine meeting pledged several weapons to deter a Russian attack.

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