Poland to ask for Berlin’s permission to deliver German-made tanks to Ukraine – POLITICO

Poland will formally ask Berlin for permission to ship German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki mentioned Monday.

“We’ll apply for such permission,” Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki mentioned throughout a press convention, with out specifying the precise timing of the official request.

The Polish chief’s announcement follows German International Minister Annalena Baerbock’s remarks on Sunday, signaling that Germany wouldn’t stand in Poland’s means if the nation had been to ask to ship tanks to Ukraine.

“I’ve understood simply how essential these tanks are,” Baerbock mentioned in an interview with French tv. Baerbock’s assertion provided a “glimmer of hope,” Morawiecki mentioned.

Nevertheless, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s spokesperson prompt on Monday that Baerbock’s remarks had not represented an agreed authorities place. Any upcoming Polish request for sending Leopard tanks must be first mentioned and determined by the German Safety Council, a decreased cupboard formation involving Scholz, Baerbock in addition to a couple of different ministers. There are “agreed procedures,” spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit mentioned, seemingly suggesting that Baerbock had voiced her personal opinion as a substitute of a authorities line.

Nevertheless, if Germany denies the request, Poland will nonetheless be seeking to hand over the tanks as a part of a “small coalition,” the Polish prime minister mentioned.

Scholz is below rising strain over dragging his ft in relation to the larger query of whether or not Berlin can be keen to ship its personal Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, for instance as a part of a broader coalition with Poland and different nations like Finland and Denmark.

Pressed on that time throughout a press convention in Paris on Sunday, Scholz evaded the query, stressing as a substitute that Berlin had by no means ceased supporting Ukraine with weapons deliveries and took its selections in cooperation with its allies.

Scholz’s refusal to greenlight Leopard 2 deliveries reportedly led to sharp phrases between him and U.S. Secretary of Protection Lloyd Austin, in keeping with the Süddeutsche Zeitung, which the German authorities denied, saying neither “tone nor content material” of the experiences maintain true.

Ukraine has been interesting to Germany and different Western nations to produce fashionable battle tanks to be able to fend off an anticipated Russian spring offensive.