Blinken hints at new military aid as Ukraine awaits Germany’s tank decision
Joel Gehrke
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Ukraine can expect a new influx of military aid following a meeting of allies this week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken forecast amid a major diplomatic push for Germany to greenlight a major upgrade to Ukrainian tank forces.
“You’ll hear more announcements in the days to come,” Blinken told reporters Tuesday during a press conference with British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. “We’re coordinating security assistance among many countries. So stay tuned for more on that, but the bottom line is we are determined to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs to succeed on the battlefield.”
The question of the week centers on Berlin, where German Chancellor Olaf Scholz holds the key Leopard main battle tanks, a German-made tank that has been purchased over the years by several countries keen to make donations that upgrade Ukraine’s fleet of heavy armor. German officials have proven hesitant either to make donations in their own name or authorize other countries to reexport the tanks to Ukraine, but Scholz faces growing pressure to change course ahead of an expected Russian offensive this spring.
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“We are in the situation where more commitment, a stronger commitment is needed to deliver armored vehicles, tanks to Ukraine, and I hope very much that our strong ally will do this,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Scholz, in part due to a reported anxiety that tank deliveries could provoke Russia to escalate the conflict into a clash with NATO, blocked the transfers over the last year on the grounds that it would be inappropriate for Germany to send NATO-standard heavy weapons to Ukraine unilaterally. Yet Poland and other countries plan to make their own donations of Leopards if Berlin allows it.
“Germany is part of the NATO alliance, and if there’s a situation where a few allies are ready to give their tanks to Ukraine, it is an important moment,” Polish President Andrzej Duda said Tuesday in a Davos appearance alongside Nauseda.“We hope that the producer of those tanks, Germany, will also participate — in my opinion, a very good idea.”
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak set a new precedent this week by authorizing the transfer of a squadron of Challenger II main battle tanks, an announcement that British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace paired with a direct appeal for Berlin to join the effort, but Blinken used a lighter touch on Tuesday.
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“I would note that what Germany has done to date has been quite extraordinary,” Blinken said, touting Scholz’s agreement to join the United States in sending infantry fighting vehicles and a Patriot air defense system. “We’ve seen incredible solidarity among countries around the world to support Ukraine. And as I mentioned, [Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin] is going to be hosting another meeting of all of the countries that are involved in providing support to Ukraine at the end of this week, and I would expect further announcements to come out of that meeting.”