German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in an interview with the Neuen Osnabrücker Zeitung newspaper, again confirmed the refusal to supply Ukraine with German Leopard main battle tanks (MBTs).
“Germany will not send modern Western tanks to Ukraine until other partners start doing the same. Germany supports Ukraine to the best of its ability and at the same time does everything possible to prevent a direct conflict between NATO and Russia. This is what underlies all decisions. And this also corresponds to the will of the vast majority of citizens,” Scholz said.
According to him, in the disputes about German tanks, the fact is completely ignored that, according to the circular exchange scheme, which has long been implemented in practice, the FRG allows the supply of “more than 100 battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles” to Ukraine. Countries such as the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Romania and Greece, according to the designated scheme (in exchange for receiving modern equipment from the FRG), transfer tanks of Eastern European production to Ukraine, where they can be immediately put into battle, since ammunition, spare parts and logistics for them are available, he declared.
“We are gradually restocking our partners with Western equipment,” Scholz said, after which he expressed surprise “that some critics behave as if we only supply helmets.”
We will remind, earlier the publication Politico reported that the Bundestag again postponed the process of voting on the transfer of German main battle tanks “Leopard” and infantry fighting vehicles “Marder” to Ukraine. The magazine focused on the fact that the decision on this issue was shelved by the German parliamentarians.
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