Germany, US To Send Tanks To Ukraine

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

BERLIN/WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – In a significant policy shift, Germany decided Tuesday to send tanks to Ukraine while the U.S. is edging closer to making a similar announcement as early as Wednesday, officials and news reports said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz decided to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and allow other countries, such as Poland, to do so, Germany’s respected Spiegel magazine reported Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Poland’s prime minister urged Germany to be “brave” and allow his country to export 14 Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine.

Mateusz Morawiecki said Germany had a “special responsibility,” having built up “huge Russian funds” before the war by buying its natural gas. He also clarified that Poland would deliver Leopard 2 tanks with or without Germany’s green light. Officially, Berlin needs to approve their export as these tanks are made in Germany.

The developments came as news emerged that the U.S. Biden administration is finalizing plans to send made-in-the-USA Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

Washington could make an announcement as soon as this week, according to three U.S. officials familiar with the deliberations.

Separately the Netherlands announced Tuesday it was considering buying tanks from neighboring Germany to be used in Ukraine against advancing Russian forces.

Britain also promised 14 Challenger tanks, while France is considering sending some of its Leclerc battle tanks.

The decisions by member states of the NATO military alliance were made despite Moscow’s warning not to send tanks to Kyiv, calling it a “delusion” by the West and saying it would eventually win on the battlefields of Ukraine.

Yet the Ukrainian military has said Ukraine needs 300 Western-made battle tanks to hold its lines and to push Russia back from Ukrainian territory.

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