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Ukraine war: 'Frank' talks as Ukraine pushes Germany for tanks

Ukraine war: 'Frank' talks as Ukraine pushes Germany for tanks

Ukraine war: 'Frank' talks as Ukraine pushes Germany for tanks
Jan 21, 2023 1 min, 12 secs

Ukraine's defence minister has said he had a "frank discussion" with his German counterpart about German Leopard 2 tanks, which Kyiv is urgently requesting to confront Russian armour.

Germany has not yet decided whether to send the tanks to Ukraine, or allow other countries to donate theirs, despite pressure on Berlin to act.

But the Leopard 2 is seen as a potential game-changer for Ukraine, as it is easy to maintain and designed specifically to compete with the Russian T-90 tanks, which are being used in the invasion.

"Every day we make it more obvious that there is no alternative, that a decision about tanks must be made.".

Mr Pistorius said Berlin was prepared to move quickly if there was consensus among allies, though he could not say when a decision on the tanks might be made.

Late last year, Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said Germany was now "among the allies providing most military, financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine", by supplying artillery, air defence systems and Marder infantry fighting vehicles.

But Germany is reluctant to send Leopards unless they are part of a wider Nato package that preferably includes America's powerful M1 Abrams tanks.

Regardless, there has been pressure in some corners for the US to send its tanks, to get Germany to do the same.

"This notion of unlocking - in my mind it's not an issue," he said after Friday's meeting of 54 countries at Ramstein Air Base.

Western countries have committed billions in other weaponry - but without Germany's commitment on tanks, it was not the result Ukraine was hoping for.

Other countries have committed to sending tanks, including the UK, which will send 14 Challenger 2s.

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