by Tom Balmford
KYIV/BERLIN, Jan 20 (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky is awaiting “strong decisions” from countries in Ukraine’s Defense Contact Group meeting in Germany on Friday to discuss aid military to Ukraine.
At the meeting, which will be held at the Ramstein military base, Ukraine’s 50-odd allies will discuss future arms deliveries, including German-made Leopard 2 tanks.
Berlin has a right of veto on the export of Leopard tanks and the government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz seems reluctant to give its authorization for fear of provoking Russia.
Ukraine and Russia have both relied primarily on Soviet-era T-72 tanks, which were destroyed by the hundreds in the war Russian President Vladimir Putin launched on February 24, calling it a “special military operation”.
“In fact, we are now waiting for the decision of a European capital, which will activate the prepared chains of cooperation regarding tanks,” Volodimir Zelensky said in a video address Thursday evening.
Lithuania’s defense minister previously said several countries would announce the shipment of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine at Friday’s meeting.
“Some countries will probably send Leopard tanks to Ukraine, that’s for sure,” Arvydas Anusauskas told Reuters.
Volodimir Zelensky is due to speak at this meeting: “We expect strong decisions”, he declared.
UNITED STATES MILITARY ASSISTANCE
The United States announced Thursday a new military aid of 2.5 billion dollars to Ukraine, which includes hundreds of armored vehicles and support for Ukrainian air defense.
According to German government sources, Berlin could move forward on the Leopard tank issue if the United States agrees to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine. This shipment was not part of Washington’s announcements on Thursday.
However, Germany’s new defense minister, Boris Pistorius, said he was unaware of any such requirement.
Poland and Finland have already said they will send Leopard tanks to Ukraine if Germany agrees. On Friday morning, Poland even indicated that it could send the tanks without authorisation.
“If there is strong resistance, we will be ready to take non-standard measures,” Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski told private RMF FM radio.
US CIA Director William Burns recently visited Kyiv, Ukraine, a US official told Reuters on Thursday. According to the Washington Post, William Burns presented to Volodimir Zelensky the military plans that Russia could, in his opinion, develop.
(Report Bureaus de Reuters, written by Grant McCool; French version Kate Entringer)