Germany Holds Back On Leopard Tanks
Three days of meeting and still there is hesitation on supplying weapons
There have been three days of meetings on an international scale, David, Estonia, and Ramstein in Germany. More weapons were offered, but it’s not enough says Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Russians appear to be planning further attacks and the US are providing intelligence to the Ukrainians.
Day 330 (19 January)
Reports claim that Germany will free light the re-exporting of Leopard tanks if the US agree to send Abrams tanks. Others state that Germany should not make decisions based on conditions. This has divided Germany with people protesting to ‘Free the Leopards’ while others campaign the keep the Leopards German. The US has said Abrams are impractical for Ukraine as they are difficult and expensive to maintain.
In Soledar, Ukraine admits it has had to retreat its defence line as a tactical move, but they remain at Soledar and Bakhmut.
A meeting was held at the Tapa Army Base in Estonia to discuss defences for Ukraine. The meeting of 11 nations near Tallinn yielded further support from 9 countries.
UK- 600 Brimstone missiles
Poland- S-60 anti-aircraft guns with 70,000 pieces of ammunition.
Denmark-19 French made sees a self-propelled howitzers.
Latvia-stinger defence systems, two Mi-17 helicopters and drones. It will also train about 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers.
Lithuania-anti-aircraft guns and two helicopters.
Estonia – howitzers, ammunition, support vehicles, and anti-tank grenade, launchers.
Czech Republic-to produce for large calibre ammunition, howitzers and APCs.
The Netherlands- will provide 2 Patriot defence systems, and will pay for 2 Leopard tanks to be sent to Ukraine (they lease 16 from Germany).
Slovakia - support package to be announced.
Poland, Finland, Czechia, Slovakia, the Netherlands, and Sweden wish to send Leopard tanks but need permission from Germany to do so. Germany has claimed that it has not received an official request from any country to re-export the tanks.
Bill Burns, the CIA Director made a secret journey to Ukraine to brief Zelenskyy on intelligence issues in relation to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Day 331 (20 January)
A Ukraine Defence Group meeting was held in Germany (Ramstein-8) to discuss further military support to Ukraine. The main issue was whether Germany would agree to the re-export of Leopard tanks. The meeting ended with no decision from Germany on the matter as Scholz comes under domestic and international pressure.
More than 50 countries participated in the talks, where Zelenskyy, said that he was:
Waiting for a decision from one European capital.
He stated:
Hundreds of thank you are not hundreds of tanks.
This is because 2,000 Leopard tanks are in storage in Europe at present and are not where they are needed. Zelenskyy has said they need about 300 of them.
The US has announced another military aid package for Ukraine, that is worth about $2.5 billion. It will include 59 Bradley, fighting vehicles, 90 Stryker, armoured combat vehicles, 53 capital MRAP armoured personnel carriers, eight avenger defence systems, HARM Missiles, as well as tactical vehicles, ammunition, and field equipment.
The Serbian President (Aleksandar Vucic) has criticised the Wagner group for advertising and reciting Serbians to fight for Russia in Ukraine The group has been making videos in Serbian to recruit people. He reiterate that it is against the law for any Serbian citizen to fight for another country. He also added that Serbia was neutral, and that he had not spoken to Putin for months. As Serbia wishes to join the EU, siding with Russia would not help their application, and would not help them if they wished to join NATO. Anti- war groups have filed criminal complaints against the Russian ambassador and Serbia’s state security )who allegedly recruit for the Wagner group).
The Swiss Foreign Minister has supported confiscating Russian assets and to use them for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Finland has given a $434 million military aid package to Ukraine.
Germany has announced a €1 billion military aid package to Ukraine.
Day 332 (21 January)
The funeral of those who died in the helicopter crash in Brovary was held in Kyiv today. Among the mourners were Zelenskyy and his wife.
Moldova’s Foreign Minister, Nicu Popescu has stated that he expects the Ukrainian victory would lead to Russia, leaving Transnistra, which is what Moldova wants.
Countries are calling on Germany to give permission to re-export the Leopard tanks, and tell them they have a responsibility to do thus. Others state that Ukrainian blood is the price of hesitation. Germany used to have policy where they could not send arms to conflict zones, but that policy was reversed in February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine
Most of the Ukrainian tanks are old Soviet tanks that are no match for the updated Russian tanks, that is why the Leopards are necessary and could be an essential for Ukraine to win the war.
In Angarsk, Sierra, fuel and gasoline trucks suffered from explosions. The deliveries were meant for the Russian army.
New York Met Opera will hold a concert to mark the one year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The concert will be held in remembrance of all the war victims.