The need for coordination at the meeting of Ukraine's military supporters at their eighth meeting in Ramstein is perhaps greater than ever.

This is mainly due to the debate over whether to supply main battle tanks to Ukraine.

Germany is being criticized - whether justified or not - because the federal government is putting the brakes on, but even more so because nobody understands exactly what Berlin is aiming for in this question.

For the new Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, the meeting is likely to be the first test on the international stage.

Lorenz Hemicker

Editor in Politics

  • Follow I follow

It was already clear at the start that the pressure would not let up to move on the battle tank issue and to enable the delivery of Leopard 2.

After the American Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had welcomed the participants from around 50 countries, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj appeared on the monitors;

pale, tired and in a black sweater.

The 44-year-old politician kept his thanks for the deliveries so far as short as a minimum of diplomatic embarrassment requires.

“We are seeing the results in Ukraine on the battlefield against our common enemy.

Thank you," said Zelenskyy.

"Can you supply leopards or not?

Then give them here!“

The Ukrainian President used the rest of his greeting for an urgent appeal without having to name Berlin.

He had already done that on Thursday evening on ARD.

Then Selenskyj said: “You are grown people.

You can talk like that for six months, but people are dying here - every day." And he appealed: "Can you deliver leopards or not?

Then hand it over!” Zelenskyy emphasized in the video booth on Friday morning, running for Russia, remains a “weapon” in his hands.

That's why "we have to step up the pace."

It is within the power of the defense ministers present to turn the meeting into a “Ramstein of tanks”.

Austin demonstrated who Ukraine can count on above all others by unveiling the latest US aid package, which he initially unveiled.

The American government published the package worth 2.5 billion US dollars on Thursday.

It is one of the most extensive since the outbreak of war and for the first time also includes 90 Stryker wheeled armored vehicles, some of which are also equipped with heavy weapons.

In addition, Ukraine will receive another batch of 59 Bradley armored personnel carriers, which are heavier and slower than the Stryker.

In addition, there are hundreds of other armored vehicles, more than 100,000 rounds of unguided artillery ammunition and around 600 rounds of precision-guided artillery ammunition with a caliber of 155 millimeters.

Comparable German-made grenades are said to be able to hit targets at a distance of up to 70 kilometers with an accuracy of one meter.

In addition, Kyiv is receiving an undisclosed number of NASAMS anti-aircraft missile systems to better defend itself against Russian attacks.

Not included in the recent US aid package are M1 Abrams main battle tanks and ATACMS short-range ballistic missiles, both of which remain on Ukrainians' wish lists.

No further promises of battle tanks for Ukraine could be heard from other states before the start of the meeting.

This leaves the British with 14 Challenger 2s for the time being – just enough for a tank company.

Finland tripled its financial aid to 590 million euros with the latest package, but did not list a Leopard 2.

Poland said it would not rule out the delivery of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine even without the consent of Germany as the manufacturing country.

Warsaw is ready for such non-standard action, Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski told private radio station RMF FM.

From German government circles it was said, however, that an official request for the release of such a delivery to Ukraine had still not been received in Berlin.

Slovakia and the Czech Republic support the idea of ​​delivering German-made Leopard 2 heavy battle tanks to Ukraine.

The FAZ learned this from diplomatic circles.

Both countries could offer to forego further deliveries for the time being and forward the tanks to Ukraine.

In any case, Ukraine will try again on Friday afternoon to make progress on the battle tank issue.

For lunch, the country invites delegations from participating countries to a "tank lunch".

Germany's Defense Minister Pistorius is expected.