Ukraine's Foreign Minister reveals what Ukraine needs besides tanks
Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen/ЕРА
Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba commented on media reports that Ukraine will receive Leopard 2 tanks from Germany and M1 Abrams from the USA.
He posted about it on Facebook.
"F16 now?" – "Yes." – "I'm getting on it, friend." I just received a question from a European colleague. And answered him. He knows what to do," the head of Ukrainian diplomacy said.
He did not specify which country it was about. But last week, it became known that the Dutch government is potentially ready to discuss the provision of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine if Kyiv expresses such a request.
Before that, Spiegel reported on Germany's decision to approve the provision of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected to announce the provision of tanks to Ukraine on Wednesday during a speech in the Bundeswehr, scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Kyiv time. At the same time, he can announce that Germany allows the re-export of Leopard 2 from other European countries.
Berlin's decision was obviously preceded by several days of intensive consultations with allies, especially the United States. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized that he wants to supply Ukraine with combat tanks only in cooperation with other countries.
It is also worth mentioning that the Czech Republic would not be able to supply Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks, which it began to receive from Germany as part of the "circular exchange."
"To ensure the country's defense capability, the Czech army needs Leopard 2 tanks, which the Czech Republic will receive from Germany to replace the machines it sends to Ukraine… This is a situation where we help Ukraine, and Germany compensates us," the Czech PM said.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands can buy back 18 Leopard 2 tanks leased from Germany and transfer them to Ukraine within the tank coalition.
According to the head of the government of the Netherlands, the German government should now decide on the Leopard supply. If Germany refuses, the Netherlands and other countries will have to decide on the supply of tanks on a bilateral basis. "But we're not at that stage yet, and I don't want to put pressure on Germany," the Dutch PM added.
