Poland to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine on one condition
Mike Brest
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Poland will send a company of Leopard tanks to Ukraine, President Andrzej Duda announced on Wednesday, but only if other Western countries participate, too.
“We have taken the decision to contribute a first package of tanks, a company of Leopard tanks, which, I hope, together with other companies of Leopard and other tanks that will be offered by other countries will …. be able to strengthen Ukraine’s defense,” Duda said at a press conference on Wednesday during a trip to Lviv, Ukraine.
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Kyiv has been requesting heavy military vehicles, and Duda’s decision to fulfill that request would represent a significant step in Western support to Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said earlier this week that the country did not intend to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine without the formation of a broader coalition.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at the press conference that Ukraine needs tanks to win the war against Russia and is “awaiting a joint decision” because “one country cannot provide us with a sufficient number of them.”
In Britain, the spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that “battle tanks could provide a game-changing capability to the Ukrainians.”
“So, as has been the case since the beginning of this campaign, we maintain a very robust and ongoing dialogue with our Ukrainian partners and the international community to look at what Ukraine security assistance needs are based on the conditions on the battlefield,” Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, Pentagon spokesman, said during Tuesday’s briefing.
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“And so, we’ll continue to have those conversations,” he added. “We’ll continue to look at what their needs are based on their requests and try to provide them with the capabilities they need to not only defend their country but to be able to take back territory.”
The United States and Germany jointly announced last week that they will be sending infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine. The administration announced a new military aid package worth nearly $4 billion on Friday that included 50 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, while Germany will provide Marder infantry fighting vehicles.