BERLIN – Western defense officials meeting in Germany on Friday said they had failed to reach an agreement to send battle tanks to Ukraine, hampering Kyiv’s hopes of quickly receiving the weapons President Volodymyr Zelensky called is crucial to the next phase of the war.
Officials had hoped to reach an agreement on sending advanced German-made Leopard 2 tanks, which are stockpiled by many European countries. But Germany has refused to send its own Leopards to Ukraine or approve other countries to export them, not wanting to be the first to take this step, and demanded that the United States also send its best tank, the M1 Abrams. .
The failure to reach an agreement was quickly criticized by some Ukrainians as well as the Polish and Latvian governments, who argued that tanks were crucial to regaining territory captured by Russia in the first place during the invasion. and to defend against an expected Russian attack in the spring.
“Arming Ukraine to repel Russian aggression is not some sort of decision-making exercise. Ukrainian bloodshed is real,” Polish Foreign Minister, Zbigniew Rau, say on Twitter. “This is the price of reluctance to deliver to Leopard. We need to act now.”
However, US and German officials have sought to reduce disagreements, stressing that Germany may not have approved sending Leopards to Ukraine. US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin III, told reporters at Ramstein Air Base that Germany is “a reliable ally and they have been for a very long time”.
His German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, said his country would start inventorying its vehicles, in the event of a future deal, and would begin training Ukrainians in how to use them. use tanks.
“This does not affect the results,” he said. “It’s to prepare for a possible day when we can act immediately and provide support in a very short period of time.”
From the outset of the war, the Biden administration carefully regulated arms supplies to Ukraine, withholding more powerful weapons to avoid provoking Russia to escalate.
But after a series of successes on the battlefield, Ukraine persuaded the White House and Western supporters to drop a series of taboos and provide more powerful offensive weapons, including infantry fighting vehicles and in the air. This week is the American Stryker armored vehicle. However, the supply of main battle tanks is still a step that many countries are reluctant to take.
That started to change in recent weeks, as Britain announced a shipment of tanks to Ukraine and the increased pressure on Germany from the Eastern European and Baltic countries to at least allow them to send Leopard 2 tanks, in the amount of about 2,000 units, to 14 countries across Europe. But even that step has been ruled out, so far, creating widespread frustration, especially as time runs out to transport tanks to Ukraine and train their soldiers how to use them. .
Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said: “Many countries, including Latvia, are increasing their military support to Ukraine, but it is not enough. “Leopard tanks must be supplied to Ukraine now!”
German officials insist Berlin is not in the way, and hinted that perhaps other countries are also concerned about making such a move without a broader coalition.
“There is no unified consensus,” Mr. Pistorius said. “The impression that is sometimes created that there is a united alliance and Germany is in the way is false.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has insisted in recent months that he will not leave Germany “alone alone” in the delivery of weapons to Ukraine, and Germany has asked the United States to contribute several M1 Abrams tanks such as: part of the package. But the Pentagon objected, pointing to the logistical hurdles posed by a fuel-hungry vehicle that requires constant maintenance.
The German government tried to soften the impression that it had asked the United States for Abrams tanks. At a press conference on Friday, the prime minister’s spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, said that Germany is following three principles: “The first is to support Ukraine as much as possible. The second is to prevent NATO and Germany from becoming warring parties. The third thing is that we’re not doing it nationally alone, but we’re working very closely with our international partners — the United States above all.”
Thorsten Benner, director of the Global Public Policy Institute in Berlin, said Germany’s reluctance to send tanks could stem from concerns about the risk of escalation and the possibility of Russian retaliation.
“The arrival of this main battle tank, the Leopard system, in Ukraine will be an important step forward and they want maximum assurance from the US,” he said. “There must be something in their heads about Germany being the target of retaliation for sending a typical German main battle tank – what it is, Scholz did not explain clearly.”
Despite all efforts to defuse divisions among Western allies, the failure to reach an agreement shows that there are still major rifts among Ukraine’s supporters, especially among the Eastern European nations demanding acted quickly and countries urged caution.
Poland’s deputy foreign minister, Pawel Jablonski, said after the meeting: “Every day is worth its weight in gold, Ukraine needs support, so we will continue this diplomatic pressure together.” “We will use different methods of direct and indirect persuasion, and we hope that this attitude will change – as it did with the Patriots.”
But aides to the German chancellor say that Scholz’s views are very close to those of President Biden, who only gradually supplies Ukraine with advanced weapons such as HIMARS . missile system and Patriot missile air defense system.
Mr. Austin and Mr. Pistorius denied there was a request to connect the US and German tanks, although they offered no explanation as to what was standing in the way of the agreement.
“There is no link between the supply of M1s and the supply of Leopards,” Austin said, adding that officials at the meeting were “stepping up” to meet demand for tanks and armored vehicles. Ukrainian steel. Defense chiefs say both the US and Germany will increase training for Ukrainian troops, including on Leopard 2 tanks.
Several German lawmakers said exclusively this week that even the countries calling for the sending of Leopards wanted to show a united front and were reluctant to demand re-export permits until all European partners – including Germany – agreed to send tanks.
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmerman, head of the Defense Committee in the German Parliament and a member of the ruling coalition, said the German defense minister’s remarks made it clear that other countries were also under attack. involved in the supply of tanks. What is their country or interest.
“In the end, though, this is not the point,” she said. “Countries that want to do it should do it and Germany should lead.”
Pistorius said there is no timeline for a tank deal, suggesting it could take days or weeks. Mr. Austin, on the other hand, said the clock was ticking.
“We have an opportunity here, between now and spring, whenever they start to counterattack,” he said, referring to the expected Russian operation. “That’s not a lot of time.”
The lack of a deal is sure to disappoint many in Ukraine, including President Zelensky, who called out officials directly before the talks began. “A hundred thanks is not equal to a hundred tanks,” he said in a video address. “We can all use a thousand words in our discussions, but I can’t use the word gun.”
Steven Erlanger contribution reports from Brussels, Lara Jakes from Rome, Christopher F. Schuetze from Berlin and Anatol Magdziarz from Warsaw.
