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Germany allowed Poland, a member of NATO, to send Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine. Photo/REUTERS
BERLIN – Berlin says it is ready to authorize Poland, a NATO country, to send a self-made Leopard tank German to Ukraine to fight the invasion Russia .
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said permission for the delivery of the advanced battle tanks would be granted if Warsaw applied for them.
“If we are asked that question, then we are not going to get in the way,” Baerbock told television station LCI on Sunday after a Franco-German summit in Paris.
“We know how important these tanks are and this is why we are discussing them now with our partners. We need to ensure people’s lives are saved and the territory of Ukraine is liberated,” he said.
Also read: NATO Allies Fail to Agree, No Leopard Tanks for Ukraine
The comments signal that Berlin is ready to authorize European countries to deliver German-made tanks to Ukraine amid increasing pressure from Kiev and other allies for such a move.
Under the German license agreement, any user country cannot send Leopard tanks to another country without Berlin’s approval.
So far, no Western-designed main battle tanks have been delivered to Ukraine for defensive combat against invading Russian troops.
Ukraine has repeatedly urged its Western allies to send more, and faster, military aid to the war-torn country.
“Every day of delay is the death of the Ukrainian people. Think faster,” said Ukraine’s presidential adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, on Saturday.
