America is pushing Germany to provide Kyiv with combat tanks, and Berlin refuses to take unilateral action

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At a time when the NATO partners are still at odds over the best means to intensify the arming of the regime in Kyiv, in light of the new Western military escalations to fuel the crisis in Ukraine, the United States is trying to push Germany to provide Ukraine with combat tanks, while Berlin requires Washington to move in this direction first.

German officials confirmed in statements reported by Reuters and other media that Berlin will not allow the shipment of advanced German Leopard tanks to Kyiv unless the United States first agrees to send American-made combat tanks.

The German newspaper "Südtösche Zeitung" quoted sources in the German government as saying: (The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, is ready to allow the supply of "Leopard 2" tanks to Ukraine, provided that Washington provides Kyiv with "Abrams" tanks), stressing that this condition was set by Scholz, during a conversation Phone with US President Joe Biden yesterday.

The newspaper also indicated that Biden did not give, during the conversation, firm approval for the transfer of “Abrams” to Kyiv, indicating that Washington is trying to push Berlin to supply Kyiv with Leopard tanks from its own stocks, and not only by allowing other “NATO” countries to re-export these tanks to Ukraine.

Until recently, NATO countries were reluctant to arm Kyiv with main combat vehicles and tanks, but Britain's recent decision to send Challenger 2 tanks paved the way for its allies in NATO to take a similar step, while Washington intensified its pressure on Berlin to take a similar move.

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly announced today that his country will provide Ukraine with more than 200 armored vehicles, in addition to 14 previously announced “Challenger 2” tanks.

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace announced earlier that Ukraine will receive “Bulldog” armored vehicles, a number of drones, “Starstreak” portable anti-aircraft systems, “IS-90” automatic cannons, and about 100,000 artillery shells and missiles for “NASMAS” air defense systems. And other weapons, equipment and ammunition, in dangerous escalatory movements that have increased in pace since the beginning of the new year.

The intensification of British support for Kiev came in parallel with the recent announcement by the administration of US President Joe Biden to allocate the largest package of military weapons to Ukraine, which exceeds three billion dollars, provided that it includes Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, self-propelled howitzers, armored vehicles, HIMARS missiles, in addition to other equipment and ammunition.

Amid the new Western military escalations of the crisis, Russia's delegate to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzia, confirmed earlier that Ukraine has turned into a military company affiliated with NATO, which pays Kiev money, provides it with weapons and intelligence information, and sets targets for it to strike.

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