Poland and Britain consider sending Leopard tanks to Ukraine

Poland and Britain are considering sending main battle tanks to Ukraine, a move that would end the West's nearly year-long refusal to deploy some of its most advanced weapons against Russia and would increase pressure on other Kyiv allies to follow suit.

Warsaw and London have yet to finalize a such a move, but it would meet a request that Kyiv has been making almost since the start of the war and support potential offensives against Russian forces in the coming months. Poland would need approval from Berlin to send its German-made tanks.

Defense officials in the United States and Europe have long feared that giving tanks to Ukraine only signals more direct Western involvement in the war and could prompt Russian President Vladimir V. Putin to escalate.

Wednesday, Polish President said his country was ready to send German-made Leopard II tanks to Ukraine if an "international coalition" agreed to do so. No Western-made battle tanks have been sent to Ukraine since the invasion.

Poland had already decided to include Leopards as part of a coalition package, President Andrzej Duda said at a joint press conference in Lviv with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and President Gitanas Nausėda of Lithuania. Mr Duda added that he hoped the tanks would "soon take various routes to Ukraine".

Mr. Duda did not specify which countries might be involved in such a coalition. But Polish officials have repeatedly urged Western nations this week to unite and jointly send more modern tanks to bolster Ukraine's supply of Soviet-era tanks.

Germany has long resisted sending offensive weapons to Ukraine for fear of an escalation of war and has said it will not be the first NATO ally to send chariots. And, out of ethical concern, Germany places limits on its vast and lucrative arms exports and re-exports, so its consent is required for Poland or any other country to send the Leopards to Ukraine. of German manufacture.

Mr. Zelensky said on Wednesday that Ukraine expected a "joint decision" on the transfer of the tanks and that it would take donations from several countries to meet the needs of Ukrainian forces. “One state cannot help us with the Leopards, because we are fighting against thousands of Russian Federation tanks,” he said.

The Growing pressure on Berlin comes a day after Britain said it was considering sending Challenger II tanks. No decision has yet been made on whether the Challenger II tanks - apparently only 10 - will be donated to Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, expressed hope that the floodgates had been opened for the West to send battle tanks after France, the United States and Germany agreed last week to send vehicles lighter armored fighting vehicles: AMX-10 RC reconnaissance vehicles from France, M2 Bradley fighting vehicles from the United States, and Marder infantry fighting vehicles from Germany.

Germany's decision to send the Marders marked a significant shift in Berlin's approach, and the armored vehicles pledged by the three countries are among the most advanced Ukraine has received since the start of the war. Yet they fall short of the capabilities of main battle tanks like the Leopards, which analysts say could be key to pushing Ukraine past the crushing attrition that has defined this winter's war. /p>