Poland Officially Requests Permission from Germany to Export Leopard Tanks to Ukraine

Poland has officially requested permission from Germany to supply Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine.

The German government has informed the BBC that Berlin has received an application from Warsaw regarding the export of 14 German-made tanks to Kyiv. According to the report, the final decision will be made by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Ukraine considers the German tanks crucial for breaking through Russian lines and achieving success on the front.

The Leopard 2 tanks are specifically designed to compete with the Russian T-90 tanks, which Russian forces are currently using in military operations. However, under German legislation, countries that possess German-made weapons are not allowed to re-export them to conflict zones without the consent of the German government.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki expressed hope that Germany would respond quickly to the request and accused Berlin of delaying the matter. He also stated that Poland would ask the European Union for compensation for the value of the tanks sent to Ukraine.

The BBC also reports that Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, stated that Berlin encourages allied countries to start training Ukrainians if they wish to do so, so that they can use the Leopard 2 tanks.

Germany has repeatedly stated that it will only grant permission to supply German tanks to Kyiv on the condition that the U.S. provides its M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine.