Poland has suggested that the countries jointly create a broad coalition to supply Ukraine with modern tanks, as the Leopard, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski and other officials announced on public radio on Monday.
Polish President Andrzej Duda’s foreign affairs adviser Jakub Kumoch said it would first be necessary to find out what the allies would do in the West.
Poland could join a coalition, but it won’t take such a step on its own because it is unable to do so, said Kumoh.
He called the news that Warsaw is ready to hand over several hundred or even all of its Leopard tanks to Ukrainian disinformation.
Kumoh said there was a discussion about the possible transfer of a few tanks or about ten tanks to Ukraine.
Following the German government’s decision to deliver about 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine, officials continued the debate over the possible delivery of the tanks.
The co-chairman of the German Social Democrats (SPD), Lars Klingbeil, said on Saturday that he was skeptical about the possible delivery of Leopard tanks to Ukraine without coordination between NATO countries.
“No country supplies heavy tanks like Leopard 1 or Leopard 2,” Klingbeil said.
After months of resisting Kiev’s calls for heavy weapons, Germany announced last week that it would send armored fighting vehicles to Ukraine together with the United States. Germany also announced that, following the lead of the United States, it would supply Ukraine with the Patriot air defense battery.
However, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has not promised Ukraine “Leopard” tanks, although support for such a step is growing in the German government.
A survey by the INSA research center, commissioned by the Bild newspaper, shows that 49% of respondents are against the supply of Marder combat vehicles to Ukraine, while 40% are in favor.
When asked about the possible delivery of Leopard tanks, 50% of respondents were against, while 38% were in favor of such a step.
