According to a source, Berlin wants to make a decision on the matter as soon as possible to quell the growing frustration of the allies – A 180-degree turn by the US, WSJ says, as it looks like they will give the “ok” for the Abrams mission
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected to give the “green light” to Poland on Wednesday to export Leopard to Ukraine, as Bloomberg reveals citing people familiar with the matter.
Berlin wants to make a decision on the matter as soon as possible to quell growing frustration among the allies, said the source, who asked not to be named.
Germany is expected to give Poland approval as soon as Wednesday to re-export its German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine, sources say https://t.co/LWJJpVQTe3 pic.twitter.com/NV71yutoqq
— Bloomberg (@business) January 24, 2023
German law requires approval for the re-export of its military equipment, meaning the hundreds of Leopard tanks in Europe can only be sent to Ukraine with Berlin’s consent.
It is recalled that earlier today Poland submitted an official request to Germany for the Leopard mission to Ukraine, and the German government said it would respond to its request immediately.
Chancellor Olaf Solz has come under intense pressure in recent days to allow allies to hand over their stocks to Leopard. Poland is calling on Germany to abandon the cautious approach, and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Tuesday he expected “immediate” approval from Berlin, while appearing willing to go ahead with the delivery of the tanks even without Berlin’s approval.
A senior German foreign ministry official said the final decision on whether Germany will send Leopard to Ukraine or allow other countries to do so will be made at the chancellery in Berlin. “Be that as it may, the decision will obviously be made in the chancellery, with the consent of the government,” said Tobias Lindner, the deputy foreign minister. “The position of my minister in this discussion is known, I believe,” he added, referring to Berbock, who said on Sunday that Germany would not stand in the way of other countries wishing to supply Leopard tanks to Kyiv.
WSJ: Washington to lift objections to Abrams mission to Ukraine
At the same time the Wall Street Journal reveals that in a 180-degree turn, the US looks set to lift its objections to sending US M1 Abrams tanks in Ukraine and an announcement on this matter may even be made within the week, the Wall Street Journal writes.
According to this source, the announcement will be part of a wider diplomatic deal with Germany under which Berlin will agree to send a smaller number of its own Leopard 2 tanks but also approve their re-export from Poland and other countries to Ukraine. In this way, the dispute that threatened to break the Western alliance, eleven months after the start of the war, will be settled.
The Pentagon has not yet commented on this information.
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