Berlin reaffirms no intention of sending Leopard tanks to Ukraine

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) – Germany on Monday reiterated that it has no plan to send Leopard 2 combat tanks to Ukraine.

“The federal government has no intention of supplying Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine at the present time,” government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said at a press briefing in Berlin.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has so far refused to supply Leopard 2 combat tanks on the grounds that no other NATO country has made such tanks available.

Hebestreit’s remarks came in the wake of Poland’s calls to form a broad coalition to hand over more modern tanks such as Leopard, as Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski told Polish public radio on Monday.

Hebestreit, however, pointed out that there has been “no official request” by Poland on this matter.

Germany decided last week to deliver around 40 Marder-type armored personnel carriers to Ukraine.

Most Germans consider this decision to be wrong, according to a survey published by weekly news magazine Stern.

Nearly half of those questioned, 49%, found the decision rather wrong, while 40% supported it.

Half of Germans rejected the delivery of battle tanks like Leopard 2, while 38% were in favor of it.