The federal government has decided to supply Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine.
The German Press Agency learned this from government circles on Tuesday evening in Berlin.
The magazine "Der Spiegel" and the broadcaster ntv had previously reported on it.
According to the "Spiegel" it is about at least one company of Leopard 2A6 tanks.
The federal government also wants to grant permission to export such tanks that are owned by other states such as Poland.
On Tuesday morning, Poland announced that it wanted to deliver 14 of its Leopard tanks and thus a company to Ukraine.
Since they received these from Germany, the federal government had to agree before they could be passed on to Kyiv.
At the same time, Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak called on Germany to supply tanks itself: "I also appeal to the German side to join the coalition of states that are supporting Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks.
As the American "Wall Street Journal" reported with reference to American government officials, the government in Washington is also tending to supply Kyiv with "a significant number" of M1 Abrams main battle tanks.
The Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte also explained in an interview with the FAZ that his country is considering supplying Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
One could buy 18 Leopard 2 leased from Germany and donate them to the Ukraine, the Prime Minister said in The Hague.