German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he’s in talks with allies over potentially supplying heavy tanks to Ukraine, but cautioned that any announcements would have to come in lockstep with others.
(Bloomberg) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he’s in talks with allies over potentially supplying heavy tanks to Ukraine, but cautioned that any announcements would have to come in lockstep with others.
“I am always thinking about the situation,” Scholz said in an interview on Tuesday with Bloomberg News Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait. “We always act together with our allies and friends — we never go alone.”
Scholz has been under pressure from allies to send German-made heavy Leopard battle tanks to Kyiv in the event that fighting intensifies in the spring. The chancellor has been criticized for his cautiousness as he held back from supplying heavy weapons, arguing that would risk provoking Russian President Vladimir Putin into escalating his conflict in Ukraine.
The chancellor won some respite earlier this month with an agreement to send 40 Marder combat vehicles and a Patriot air-defense system to Ukraine as part of a joint announcement with the US, yet the calls for more powerful Leopard tanks have continued.
Read More: Scholz Sees Germany Riding Out War in Ukraine Without Recession
“We are supporting Ukraine for as long as necessary with all the means that we can use,” Scholz said, adding that the aim is to “avoid that this is going to be a war between Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.”
The UK on Saturday became the first country to confirm it will send its battle tanks to Ukraine, and European officials who deal with Berlin have said they expect Germany to follow suit in the near future. The government is expected to make a decision on tanks ahead of a meeting of senior defense officials from allied nations on Friday at the US airbase in Ramstein, Germany.
Russia’s Move
Scholz emphasized that Russia must withdraw its troops from Ukraine in order for any negotiations to happen, and that Germany would support Kyiv for as long as necessary.
“I am very happy that the Ukrainian president is ready for peace,” Scholz said. “Russia has to do something which they are as far as we see not ready to do and this is withdrawing troops — we are waiting for that.”
Since Russia invaded Ukraine last year, the German chancellor abandoned Berlin’s postwar policy of not sending lethal weapons into combat zones and earmarked 100 billion euros ($108 billion) to modernize the armed forces on top of an increase in annual defense spending that is set to reach NATO’s target of 2% of GDP next year.
The German government is in position to unlock dozens of German-made Leopard tanks for Ukraine, which could significantly boost Kyiv’s capabilities. Twelve other European countries have Leopards in their arsenals, but they need Berlin’s approval before they can transfer the tanks.
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