NAfter months of discussions, the delivery of Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine is drawing near. According to media reports, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is now ready to do so – but only under certain conditions. According to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” and the “Bild” newspaper, Scholz made it clear in a telephone call to US President Joe Biden that Germany could only deliver if the US in turn provided Ukraine with its own Abrams battle tanks.
However, the US rejects this. US Secretary of Defense Colin Kahl told reporters on Wednesday that the Abrams tank was a “very complicated” armament. It is expensive, requires difficult training and consumes a lot of fuel with its turbine drive. “It is not the easiest system to maintain.” US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin does not want to supply the Ukrainians with weapons “that they cannot repair, that they cannot maintain and that they cannot afford in the long term because it is not helpful ‘ Kahl continued.
NATO Secretary General: Ukraine will get heavier weapons
According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Ukraine will receive heavier weapons to fight Russia. From the meeting of the Ukraine contact group at the Ramstein US base in Rhineland-Palatinate on Friday, the message will go out that there will be “more ongoing support, heavier weapons and more modern weapons”. It is a fight for one’s own values and democracy.
Stoltenberg left it open whether there would be announcements about the delivery of Leopard 2 tanks. It is also conceivable that the Norwegian was alluding to the fact that Great Britain wants to provide Ukraine with 14 Challenger 2 battle tanks.
According to reports, the USA is preparing new large arms deliveries to Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia. The news portal “Politico” reported, citing informed circles, that the United States is considering, among other things, the delivery of Stryker-type wheeled armored personnel carriers. Wheeled infantry fighting vehicles are used, for example, for reconnaissance and transport and are intended to offer a high level of protection against attacks.
Selenskyj criticizes international hesitation in providing support
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the international community of hesitating for too long. “The time that the free world needs to think is used by the terrorist state to kill,” said the Ukrainian head of state in a video speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos. At the moment it is particularly important to anticipate Russia’s military mobilization.
Selenskyj demanded: “The supply of western battle tanks must forestall a next invasion with Russian battle tanks.” This also applies to the provision of anti-aircraft systems. These must come before the “next Russian missile strikes”.
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