Why Poland, despite the refusal of Germany, plans to send Leopard tanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced that Warsaw would hand over German Leopard tanks to Kyiv, even if Germany was against it. How official Berlin reacted – in the material of the Izvestia correspondent Alexander Romanov.

In the center of Brussels, Ukrainian activists on tour are demanding more weapons for Ukraine. The EU countries have just agreed on a new military aid package worth 500 million euros. But the demonstrators are not satisfied: they want Europe to immediately send German tanks to Kyiv. The main slogan: “Free the Leopards” is addressed to Germany, which for the past month has been telling other European countries that it is possible to transfer Leopard 2 tanks only with official permission. The new head of the German Ministry of Defense carefully chooses words to explain Berlin’s position. It turns out vague.

“As a ‘Nation of Leopards’, Germany has a special responsibility which it must justify. The Leopard 2 is a vehicle that can be used both defensively and offensively. And you need to weigh everything very carefully before including them in what is happening. It is in the interests of Germany and Europe to do this carefully and judiciously, “and not hastily or lightly”, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said.

And it seems that the Poles are tired of listening to all this. The Prime Minister of Poland called the consent of Berlin “a matter of secondary importance.”

“Even if we don’t get consent in the end, then within the framework of a small coalition, if Germany is not there, we will transfer our tanks along with others to Ukraine. For us, the main condition at the moment is to form at least a small coalition,” Morawiecki said.

Moreover, the German Foreign Ministry issues a comment from the series “okay, what can we do?”

“We have rules, rules for checks. So far, questions about supplies are being asked to others. We have not been asked yet, but if they ask, we will not stand in the way,”German Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock said.

Poland has about 240 Leopard 2 tanks. What part of Warsaw is ready to transfer to the Ukrainians is not yet clear, but from across the ocean they are increasingly making it clear that a lot of weapons are needed. Washington has big plans for the coming months. This is now retired General Ben Hodges and teaches at an influential think tank, but before that he served as commander of the US Army in Europe.

“Ukrainians know that the decisive territory is Crimea. With the tanks of the West, Ukraine can create an armored brigade that will serve as a spearhead of force to break through the Russian defenses in the direction of Mariupol in order to continue the isolation of Crimea”– such a statement was made by Hodges.

The head of the arms committee in the US Congress has already called for the supply of long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine, which will be suitable for strikes in Crimea. The wider the hostilities, the more profitable it is for the States.

Already in Europe, the press writes about the uncomplicated business plan of the Americans. According to journalists, German industrial circles are confident that as soon as Leopards start to burn in battles in Ukraine, American Abrams will go to Europe. Not free, of course. As a result, the States will finally crush the European arms market.