Ukraine's president slams Germany's hesitation to send tanks

BERLIN

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy harshly criticized Germany on Thursday for hesitating to send Leopard 2 tanks to the East European country for its war with Russia.

“You can certainly talk for another six months, but people die here every day. If you have Leopard tanks, give them to us,” Zelenskyy told public broadcaster ARD.

Ukraine is defending itself and has no intention of attacking Russia, he added.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz avoided committing to the supply of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine at the Davos Summit on Wednesday, although he held the door open to a positive decision at an upcoming special summit of Western defense ministers on Friday.

Scholz has repeatedly stressed that his country is “strategically interlocked” with the US, France and other “friends and partners” and that any decisions about weapons had to be part of a collective effort to help Ukraine win the war.

The issue of the Leopard talks is expected to be the focus of talks Friday when dozens of Western defense ministers of the Ukraine Contact Group will gather at the US Ramstein Air Base in Germany to discuss and coordinate future military aid to Kyiv.

Germany plays a key role in the debate because the Leopard 2 tanks were manufactured in Germany. As a rule, the transfer of armaments from German production to third parties must be approved by Berlin.

Poland and Finland have said they are ready to deliver Ukraine Leopard 2 tanks.