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Updated January 21st, 2023 at 14:54 IST

Germany's indecision on Leopard 2 tanks 'ridiculous' says Ukrainian foreign minister

Andriy Melnyk, Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister, expressed disappointment over Germany's indecision on whether to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

Reported by: Sagar Kar
Germany
Image: AP | Image:self
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Andriy Melnyk, Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister, expressed disappointment in an interview with CNN over Germany's indecision on whether to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. He praised the United Kingdom for fulfilling its pledge to send Challenger 2 tanks and expressed hope that this would encourage other countries to do the same. He stated that the UK is the first nation to deliver main battle tanks and that this could be a trigger for other countries, but Germany has not been motivated by UK's decision. The Ukrainian foreign minister went on to say that Germany's inaction is a huge disappointment for all Ukrainians.

Despite growing pressure from NATO and Ukraine to provide military aid, Germany has yet to reach an agreement with its Western allies on sending Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. The German Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, announced that no decision has been made yet on this matter during a high-stakes defense meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Melnyk, Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister said that although he is disappointed he remains hopeful that they will consider Ukraine's concerns and may still decide to send the tanks.

"Ridiculous," says the Ukrainian foreign minister

He urged the German government to allow other nations such as Poland, Finland, Spain, or Greece, which already have German tanks, to do the same and to create a "Global Tank Coalition" to help Ukrainian forces to push out the Russians and to start a counteroffensive which will allow them to liberate the occupied territories. He also mentioned that it's ridiculous that after 331 days of brutal war, Russia has been waging against Ukraine, they are still making an inventory of stocks of Bundeswehr and in the industry, to check whether they have something to send to Ukraine. He said that he hopes that the government in Berlin will take seriously all of the concerns they heard in Ramstein. “After 331 days of brutal war which Russia has been waging against Ukraine, they are still making an inventory of stocks, of (the) Bundeswehr (the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany) and in the industry, to check whether they have something to send to Ukraine! It is ridiculous,” were the exact words of the Ukrainian foreign minister. 

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Published January 21st, 2023 at 14:54 IST

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