Poland has asked the German government for approval for the delivery of German-made Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine.
"I also appeal to the German side to join the coalition of countries supporting Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks," Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.
It's about the security of all of Europe.
According to dpa information, the Polish application from the federal government was already available on Tuesday.
Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) meanwhile promised a quick decision by Germany on the delivery of Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine.
"I expect that a decision will be made shortly," Pistorius told journalists on Tuesday morning after a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Berlin.
He "expressly encouraged" other partner countries that already had battle tanks of this model to start training Ukrainian soldiers on them.
Stoltenberg praises the federal government
Stoltenberg defended the federal government against the background of the ongoing discussion about German Leopard deliveries.
Among Ukraine's allies, Berlin provides the "most extensive military, financial and humanitarian support" to Kyiv, he said.
"Weapons from Germany save lives in Ukraine every day." Regarding the delivery of Leopard main battle tanks, he was also "confident that we will soon have a solution".
Pistorius said of the Leopard tanks that the query he initiated on Friday about the Leopard stocks is "close to completion".
It's not about counting how many tanks we have.
"We know that." Rather, the federal government wants to examine the "inventory and potential" of the armaments industry and examine the compatibility of the Leopard tanks.
Germany will be “capable of acting very quickly”.
Poland is putting pressure on its allies to supply tanks.
The week before last, President Andrzej Duda said that Warsaw had decided to hand over 14 Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine.
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced on Monday that Warsaw would ask the federal government for approval.
In order to supply German-made tanks to other countries, permission from Berlin is required.