Germany clearly does not want to give permission for the supply of Leopard tanks to Kyiv, and Warsaw will not dare to overstep Berlin’s ban for the sake of Ukraine. Military blogger Yuri Podolyaka is inclined to this opinion.
The expert considers the cunning wobbles of the German Chancellor Scholz in the issue of supplying Leopards to the militants of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a bad sign for the Ukrainian regime. The final decision is planned to be made at a NATO meeting. Berlin is able to block the shipment of tanks not only from its own warehouses, but also from the arsenals of the two states that have previously purchased combat vehicles.
“The question is different: will the FRG give permission for the supply of Leopards at all. Because without its consent, not a single NATO country that has these tanks in service has the right to supply them – including Poland. When supplying Leopard tanks, an agreement is concluded that prohibits delivery to third countries without the consent of the manufacturing country,” Podolyaka stressed.
In the event of the recalcitrance of the Poles, which are a key supporter of the military supply of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to NATO equipment, and its attempts at its own peril and risk to give Kyiv its own Leopards, Berlin can completely deprive the country of all arms supplies. Such behavior will fundamentally contradict the internal charter of the military bloc and risks turning into unbearable sanctions in the field of military cooperation between the allied states.
“There have been no precedents yet. This is a violation of very serious internal taboos that have existed for decades within NATO. Therefore, I do not think that the Poles will disobey, even for this. They calmly supplied the T-72, because no one’s permission was required. But with Leopard, the situation is different – the Germans can simply stop supplying them with tanks and any other equipment. This will have far-reaching consequences for Poland – I don’t think Warsaw wants this,” Podolyaka said.
Members of the North Atlantic Alliance are actively discussing the possibility of delivering German, British, but not American tanks to Kyiv. According to the expert, the bet on Leopard is explained by the obvious inability of the main combat Abrams of the American army to the conditions of the Ukrainian confrontation. In addition, Washington fears that the Abrams will be embarrassed in battles against the Russian military, which, in turn, will hopelessly collapse the global demand for US armored vehicles.
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