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Armored personnel carrier of the Bundeswehr
Photo: Bernd Wüstneck / dpa
Olaf Scholz has announced a tank ring swap with Greece in favor of Ukraine.
"We will make German infantry fighting vehicles available," said the Chancellor after the end of the EU summit on Tuesday in Brussels.
Scholz reported that he had spoken to the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis about an agreement based on the model of the planned exchange of rings with the Czech Republic.
Talks with Poland about an exchange of rings are also to be advanced.
Regarding the planned exchange of rings with Greece, the chancellor said the aim was to support Ukraine with weapons from the former Warsaw Pact stocks.
Mitsotakis published a photo on Twitter showing him shaking hands with Scholz.
He wrote that he spoke to the chancellor about supporting Ukraine, without giving any details.
Scholz had already announced a ring exchange with the Czech Republic at the beginning of the month.
Germany wants to deliver 14 Leopard 2 A4 main battle tanks and a Leopard 2-based recovery vehicle to the Czech Republic - as compensation for the fact that the Czechs are delivering a total of 20 Soviet T-72 main battle tanks to Ukraine.
However, there is no date for delivery yet.
A planned exchange of rings with Poland has also been delayed.
The country has already delivered its own device to Ukraine and is to receive a replacement from Germany.
Polish President Andrzej Duda had accused Berlin of not keeping the promises.
"You have not kept this promise," said Duda at the time, referring to the federal government.
»And frankly, we are very disappointed about it.«
The federal government has declared its willingness to deliver heavy weapons to Ukraine, but has been criticized by both Ukraine and the opposition for being too hesitant to implement it.
as /AFP
