Germany seemed poised to concede in the dispute over sending Leopard 2 tanks into Ukraine on Monday. This signalled its willingness to allow Nato allies to re-export theirs.
Berlin has refused to allow the export to Kyiv of German-made main battle tank units.
Boris Pistorius (German defense minister) suggested that a decision regarding shipments would be made soon… but it all depends on many factors.
On Tuesday, Jens Stoltenberg (the secretary-general of NATO) will meet Mr Pistorius amid increasing pressure from Berlin to deliver tanks.
This comes as Annalena Bock, Germany’s foreign secretary, stated that she would not stop Poland from sending Leopard 2s to Ukraine.
She said that while the question is not being asked at the moment, she added that if asked, we wouldn’t stand in the way.”
#Germany appeared poised to back down in the row over sending Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. #Polish PM says the government will ask Germany for permission to send Leopard tanks to #Ukraine. Even if there is no permission from Germany, #Warsaw will take its own decisions, he said. https://t.co/q2Ez51wRYn
— Share_Talk ™ (@Share_Talk) January 23, 2023
On Monday, the Polish prime minister stated that he would request Berlin’s formal permission to send 14 Leopard 2 tanks into Ukraine.
The Polish prime minister said that his government will request Germany’s permission to send Leopard tanks into Ukraine. He plans to send them regardless of whether Berlin agrees.
After Germany’s foreign minister stated that Berlin wouldn’t stand in the way of Poland sending its tanks to Ukraine, Mateusz Morawiecki, Polish Prime Minister, said Warsaw would need permission. However, this was a secondary issue.
He stated that even if this approval was not granted, we would still transfer our tanks with other countries to Ukraine. “The condition is that we build at most a small group of countries.”
For months, Ukrainian officials have been asking Western allies for Leopard tanks. But Germany has refused to send them or allowed other Nato countries to re-export them. Defence experts consider the Leopards, which are being fielded by a variety of Nato countries to be most appropriate for Ukraine.
According to the Norwegian army, Russia suffered 180,000 casualties in Ukraine.
Russia has been affected by 180,000 deaths or injuries in Ukraine, while Ukraine has suffered 100,000 military casualties, and 30,000 civilian deaths, according to the estimates of the Norwegian army.
“Russian losses are starting to approach around 180,000 killed or wounded soldiers,” Eirik Kristoffersen, the Norwegian Chief of Defence, stated in an interview on Sunday with TV2, without specifying how these numbers were calculated.
Norway is a bordering country with Russia and has been a member since 1949.
“Ukrainian casualties are likely to exceed 100,000 killed or wounded,” said the general. The general from Norway stated that Ukraine also has approximately 30,000 civilians who have been killed in this terrible conflict.
Russia’s defense ministry reported its last losses on September 20, 222. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu stated that 5937 Russian servicemen had been murdered.
On Sunday, Mr Kristoffersen stated that Russia is capable of continuing (this war) despite heavy losses. He cited Moscow’s mobilization and arms production capabilities.
