Tanks from Germany: 180 Leopard tanks "awaiting export approval"
Created: 01/08/2023, 07:00
By: Caspar Felix Hoffmann, Karolin Schäfer, Nadja Austel
Germany and other Western countries are supplying tanks to Ukraine.
Zelenskyj thanks for the support.
The news ticker.
New military aid:
The US is delivering a support package worth billions to Kiev
Tank delivery from Germany
: The Ukrainian ambassador also expects battle tanks.
Negotiations:
Turkey wants to mediate in the Ukraine conflict between Russia and Ukraine
+++ 10.45 p.m .:
After the federal government’s commitment to provide the Ukraine with “Marder” armored personnel carriers, there are increasing calls to also supply “Leopard” battle tanks.
FDP defense expert Marcus Faber has now also demanded that Germany give up its blocking stance.
"Modern battle tanks are one of the most convincing arguments for the Russian invasion troops to start their journey home," Faber told the
Rheinische Post
on Saturday.
180 "Leopard 1" tanks "are waiting for export permits to the Ukraine from German industry," wrote Faber on Twitter.
It is time to “change from procrastinator to designer”.
Increasingly, demands are being made in the West to also supply “Leopard” main battle tanks to Ukraine.
(Archive image) © Csaba Krizsan/MTI/AP/dpa
Negotiations in the Ukraine war: Infantry fighting vehicles from Germany show “Western unity”
+++ 4.30 p.m
.: The CDU foreign politician and former Bundeswehr officer Roderich Kiesewetter defended the much-discussed tank deliveries from Germany to Ukraine.
Only with such deliveries could the war be ended more quickly, he said on
Deutschlandfunk
.
"Our non-delivery did not mean that Russia wanted negotiations," he added.
According to Kiesewetter, the decision to supply infantry fighting vehicles shows unity in the West.
The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, also welcomed the decision.
"It is important that we continue to support the Ukrainian people - politically, humanitarian, financially and militarily," she is quoted as saying by the
German Press Agency (dpa)
.
Pictures of the Ukraine war: great horror and small moments of happiness
View photo gallery
Negotiation in the Ukraine war: USA ask Italy for participation
+++ 3.40 p.m .:
The USA asks Italy to send air defense systems to Ukraine.
This emerges from reports in the Italian daily newspaper
La Repubblica
.
According to the report, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's adviser about becoming involved in Ukraine's air defenses as soon as possible.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyj had already reported on a possible delivery by the EU member state after his conversation with Meloni shortly after Christmas.
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Negotiation in the Ukraine war: Ambassador also expects battle tanks from Germany
+++ 1:53 p.m .:
After President Volodymyr Zelenskyj, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, also expresses his gratitude for the support in the war with Russia.
Ukrainian ground troops would benefit enormously from the armored personnel carriers from Germany, Makeiev told
Wirtschaftswoche.
He is confident that he will also be able to get western-style battle tanks.
"I'm an optimist.
After almost a year since the beginning of this great Russian invasion, many people in Germany have finally understood that this war is about the existence of Ukraine and about peace in all of Europe,” Makeiev said.
"German weapons save lives and contribute to the return of peace in Europe."
Negotiation in the Ukraine war: Selenskyj still counts on US support after McCarthy's election
+++ 12.25 p.m .:
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyj congratulated the new chairman of the Republican Party in the US House of Representatives on Twitter.
"Congratulations to Kevin McCarthy," wrote Zelenskyy, who also expressed his expectations regarding the Ukraine war in the social media post.
“US support in all areas has been critical to Ukraine's success on the battlefield.
We count on your continued support and continued US assistance to achieve our common victory," Zelenskyy tweeted.
The federal government has announced the delivery of Marder armored personnel carriers.
© Sven Eckelkamp/imago
Negotiations in the Ukraine war: Finland also supplies tanks
+++ 8.36 a.m .:
In addition to Germany and France, EU member Finland is now ready to deliver tanks to Ukraine.
"If Europe starts supplying Ukraine with even an inch more tanks, Finland should be involved," Antti Hakkianen, chairman of Finland's Defense Committee, told Finnish news platform
MTV Uutiset
.
"With our small contribution, of course, because our own defense capability is always a priority for us as a border country with Russia," Hakkianen continued.
According to Finnish reports, this is the older Leopard 2A4 main battle tank model.
Negotiations in the Ukraine war: Ministry of Defense prepares for tank delivery
Update from Saturday, January 7th, 6:50 a.m .:
The Ministry of Defense is preparing to hand over armored personnel carriers from the Bundeswehr stocks.
According to information from the German Press Agency, a corresponding test was still running in the military department on Friday.
It was also examined how the goal of quickly handing over 40 armored personnel carriers can be achieved.
The Bundeswehr has a total of around 370 martens, many of which also have to be overhauled before use.
About half are considered operational.
Negotiations in the Ukraine war: Selenskyj thanks Germany for tanks
+++ 10:20 p.m .:
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has again expressed his gratitude for the announced delivery of armored personnel carriers from Germany and the USA.
"We managed to take Ukraine's strength and defense cooperation with partners to a new level," the head of state said in his daily video address on Friday.
"From now on, Ukraine will have more anti-aircraft defenses, more armored vehicles, western tanks for the first time, more guns and missiles."
Ukraine is to receive 40 Marder tanks and a Patriot anti-aircraft system from Germany.
The United States has promised Kyiv a new military package worth around $3 billion (€2.8 billion), including Bradley infantry fighting vehicles.
Negotiations in the Ukraine war: Kyiv receives billions in military aid
+++ 8:18 p.m .:
The United States is providing Ukraine with more billions in military aid in the war against Russia.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre announced that the new support package for Kyiv was worth almost three billion US dollars (2.8 billion euros).
This is the largest single package of its kind to date.
This includes the Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, the delivery of which the White House had already announced on Thursday (January 5) after a telephone call from US President Joe Biden and Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD).
The Pentagon will release more details about the weapons systems included in the package later today, Jean-Pierre said.
The United States is considered Ukraine's most important ally in the defense against the Russian invasion.
During Joe Biden's tenure, the United States has already given Ukraine nearly $22 billion in military aid.
The latest package of almost three billion US dollars is now added.
Negotiations in the Ukraine war: "#Thank you Germany"
Update from Friday, January 6th, 4:40 a.m.:
The decision by Germany and the USA to deliver armored personnel carriers to Ukraine triggered joy and relief in Kiev.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyj thanked Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President Joe Biden for their commitment on Friday night.
"We will get another Patriot system and powerful armored vehicles, it's really a big victory for our state," he said in his video address.
Ambassador Oleksii Makeiev tweeted black, red and gold hearts and the words "#Thank you Germany".
News in the Ukraine war: Scholz is now considering the delivery of German tanks
+++ 16.10:
Olaf Scholz is apparently considering the delivery of German tanks to Ukraine.
As the
Süddeutsche Zeitung
reported, it is said to be Marder infantry fighting vehicles from industrial stocks.
The decision was agreed with the USA and France.
Scholz had come under pressure because French President Emmanuel Macron had announced the delivery of French main battle tanks.
The Scholz government had always justified the decision not to supply tanks with the fact that it did not want to go it alone when it came to supplying weapons.
+++ 11.00 a.m .:
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked Vladimir Putin to underpin his peace efforts with a unilateral ceasefire.
On this basis, the conflicting parties could then develop a "vision for a fair solution," said Erdogan, according to the
Reuters
news agency .
Putin and Erdogan spoke on the phone on Wednesday.
Update from Thursday, January 5th, 8:55 a.m .:
France now also wants to deliver “light battle tanks” to Ukraine for the fight against Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron assured his Ukrainian colleague Volodymyr Zelenskyy of this, the French government announced.
Specifically, it is about the AMX-10 RC scout tank.
It is not yet clear how many models Ukraine will receive.
According to the French government, these are the first main battle tanks to be delivered to Kyiv from the west.
Negotiations in the Ukraine war: Baerbock calls for solidarity in the fight against Russia
+++ 8.20 p.m .:
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has called on Europe and the West to stand closely and in solidarity with Ukraine in 2023.
In view of the Russian aggression, the strongest reaction lies in the joint response of the partners, the Greens politician said on Wednesday (January 4) at a conference in Lisbon.
The greatest wish for the new year is peace in 2023.
At the same time, Baerbock sharply criticized the Russian attacks on Ukraine over the holidays.
Now is not the time for theoretical questions.
In view of the turning point, all partners would have to sit down to see how the problems could be solved together.
The minister spoke out in favor of pragmatic solutions in the training of Ukrainian soldiers.
Negotiations in the Ukraine war: Erdoğan talks to Putin and Zelenskyy
First report from Wednesday, January 4th
: Ankara – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wants to call his Ukrainian and Russian counterparts Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin.
This was announced by Ibrahim Kalin, an advisor to the Turkish President, on Tuesday (January 3) on Turkish television.
Kalin gave no further details on what Erdoğan wants to talk about.
Russian media had already reported on the plans for a telephone conversation between the presidents of Turkey and Russia.
Erdoğan last spoke to Zelenskyy on December 11 when they discussed Turkey's humanitarian aid to Ukraine, the situation at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant and a peace deal.
Negotiations in the Ukraine war: Turkey sees itself in the role of a mediator
Turkey has refused to impose sanctions on the Russian Federation since the invasion began, saying its role is that of a mediator between the two sides in the conflict.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said in early December that Ankara expected a "clearer picture" of a possible ceasefire in the Ukraine war or a return to the negotiating table by spring 2023.
(editorial with agencies)
