US, Ukraine puts pressure on Berlin to become first NATO power to send war tanks to Kyiv

As European Union countries gear up to roll out the 10th package of sanctions against Russia, the United States, and its allies have asked Germany to become the first NATO power to send large-scale battle tanks to Ukraine.

This development comes at a time when Berlin has expressed concern that sending heavy military aid to Ukraine would escalate further tensions with Moscow. On Friday, German and US officials said that, till now, they have not taken any decision on sending the tanks to war-torn Ukraine.

Washington and Kyiv ask Germany to send tanks to Ukraine

"You may have heard the German minister of defence say earlier that they’ve not made a decision on the provision of Leopard tanks," Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Friday at a subdued joint press conference with Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley after holding a discussion over the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

"What we're really focused on is making sure that Ukraine has the capabilities it needs to be successful right now." So we have a window of opportunity here between now and the spring when I—or whenever they commence their operation, their counteroffensive—and that’s not a long time. "And we have to pull together the right capabilities," Austin said. He added that there are "no announcements" regarding the supply of the US's gas-guzzling jet engine-powered M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

'Berlin should stop hiding behind the US, end this crazy show' and send tanks to empower Kyiv: Ukraine 

Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Melny expressed his disappointment over Germany. He said Berlin should "stop hiding behind" Washington and "put an end to this crazy Punch and Judy show around Leopards today at Ramstein and clear the way for a global tank coalition to empower Ukraine to kick out Russian troops."

Meanwhile, Germany's Western allies have also expressed their dissatisfaction with Scholz's decisiveness. According to a Sputnik report, one anonymous Western diplomat in Berlin said, "I am tired of the s***show of who is going to send tanks and when they are going to send them," hawkish South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham vented Friday. "To the Germans: send tanks to Ukraine, because they need the tanks." It is in your interest that Putin loses in Ukraine. "To the Biden administration: send American tanks so that others will follow our lead," he urged.

Image: AP