This Monday, January 23, Poland is announcing through its Prime Minister that it will seek Berlin’s consent to supply German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine. “We will ask for such an arrangement, but that is a secondary issueMateusz Morawiecki told journalists. “If we don’t even get their consent, we will give our tanks to Ukrainehe addedas part of a small coalition, even if Germany is not part of it“. Poland, which declares that it is ready to deliver 14 leopards to Kiev, notes that it is in discussions with about fifteen countries on the subject.
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Germany is under increased pressure to deliver its Leopard tanks to Ukraine, which has persistently demanded them, after foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said her country was ready to do so, despite Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s reluctance to comment on the matter. The Prime Minister of Poland estimated that Germany as a whole “There are over 350 leopards in action” and about 200 othersin stock“.
Need a “several hundred” tank
Many European armies have Leopards, which is a significant advantage, as it can facilitate access to ammunition and spare parts and facilitate maintenance, which is demanding for this type of equipment.
“We need tanks, not 10 or 20, but several hundredShortly before Poland’s announcements, Andriy Yermak, the head of the staff of the President of Ukraine, urged on Telegram.
“Today, every combat-capable tank should be on our front. Because this is not only the Ukrainian front. This is the battlefield where civilization collides with the swamps of backwardness and barbarism.added Andrey Iermak, at a time when Russians are under attack, particularly in Eastern Ukraine.
The Russians in Soledar
On the ground, one of the main leaders of separatists in eastern Ukraine, Denis Pushilin, appeared in Soledar, an area Moscow claimed to have captured more than a week ago. Speaking on Russian television on Monday, Denis Pushilin confirmed that the city “destroyed“.
According to the Russian army, the capture of this city is a step in the direction of encircling Bakhmut, which Moscow has been trying to conquer since the summer, and where the two sides are engaged in a fierce battle. According to Mr. Pushilin, the fighting there “strengthen“and the Russian troops”.advance payment“. Ukraine has so far not officially recognized the loss of Soledar, saying it continues to fight in its western sector. On Monday, the governor’s office again passed “active military operations near Bakhmut and Soledarwithout further details.
Pro-Russian separatists also announced that they had captured two nearby villages, Krasnopolivka and Dvuretchye. On the diplomatic front, Estonia will expel Russia’s ambassador, a measure of reciprocity after Moscow took a similar decision on Estonia’s ambassador a few hours ago.
Russians and Westerners have multiplied the expulsions of diplomats in recent years, and more so after the Russians launched an offensive against Ukraine on February 24, 2022. But this is the first time ambassadors have been sent back to their country since the start of the war. .
Germany “doesn’t mind”
Germany is ready to allow Warsaw to supply the tanks it has, reports Annalena Baerbock. “If they asked us a question, we would not oppose“On Sunday, January 22, the Minister of Environmental Protection, who governs in coalition with Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats and Liberals, announced.
“The question has not been asked at this timePoland is required to submit an official request to Berlin, the minister said in an interview on the French TV channel LCI in Paris.
The final decision, however, rests with the chancellor, who has so far refused to comment on these indirect supplies, nor on the direct supply of leopards from German stocks.
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Source: Le Figaro
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.