Germany has not yet decided whether to give Ukraine Leopard tanks
Germany continues negotiations with Washington and other partners regarding the supply of tanks to Ukraine but has not yet made a decision on the transfer of Leopards.
The representative of the press service of the federal government, Kristine Hoffmann, said this at a briefing on Friday, Ukrinform reports.
"Our principle is known: we do not want and will not supply individually, but only in cooperation," Hoffmann said and reminded that none of the NATO countries or partners has yet provided battle tanks for the Armed Forces.
At the same time, she noted that, in reality, there are constant and intensive contacts between the German and American sides, in particular between the president and the chancellor's foreign policy advisors, respectively, regarding the issue of arms supply to Ukraine.
At the same time, Hoffmann emphasized that there were never any demands or even a request from the US to hand over Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine.
"Germany, as a sovereign state, can decide for itself what to supply and what not to supply," she added.
In his turn, the representative of the Ministry of Defense of Germany, Arno Kollats, added that "negotiations are being conducted on all positions", but there is no news about Germany's intentions to supply tanks.
As reported the other day, the media wrote that the American government expressed that Germany has the full right to choose which weapons it wants to supply.
President Joe Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, reportedly called on Germany to supply Ukraine with Leopard 2 main battle tanks, as he told the chancellor's foreign policy adviser, Jens Plötner, back in October. He clarified, however, that America's agreement to supply German tanks does not mean that Washington is asking Berlin for it.
