Poland to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine in few weeks, says defense chief
Leopard tank (Photo:REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa)
Poland will send Leopard tanks to Ukraine within a few weeks, Polish radio station PlusRadio quoted Poland's Deputy Defense Minister Wojciech Skurkiewicz as saying on Jan. 26.
According to him, Warsaw is ready to transfer one company of Leopard tanks to Ukraine — 14 tanks.
The official also mentioned the statement of Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak that after other countries decide to provide tanks, Poland will immediately begin training Ukrainians on this equipment.
When asked whether such support would allow Ukraine to launch a counteroffensive or effective defense, Skurkiewicz said that all actions were taken to ensure that Ukraine would win.
On Jan.25, Germany approved the provision of 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and their re-export from partner countries.
Leopard 2 tanks for Ukraine
According to Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, the attendees agreed that countries with Leopard 2s could start training for Ukrainian tank crews.
Prior to that, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that a number of countries (Poland, Finland, Spain, Portugal, and others) were ready to supply Ukraine with Leopard 2s — subject to Germany giving its permission for their re-export.
On Jan. 11, Polish President Andrzej Duda was the first to announce that the Ukrainian Armed Forces would receive a company of Leopard tanks as part of an international coalition.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that Warsaw does not rule out the creation of a coalition with countries willing to give Ukraine some of their Leopard 2s, without Germany's participation, if Berlin does not approve the delivery.
Earlier, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised to give Ukraine 14 Challenger 2 tanks, making the United Kingdom the first Western country to supply heavy tanks to the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
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