Poland gave tanks to Ukraine. But it wants German tanks of the Leopard type. President Andrzej Duda complains that the federal government has not kept its promise.
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda has accused the German government of breaching its promise to deliver tanks to his country.
In an interview with the TV channel Welt on the fringes of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the head of state of the NATO partner referred to a commitment from Berlin to deliver tanks to replace tanks handed over to Ukraine by Poland. “You have not fulfilled this promise,” added Duda, referring to the federal government. “And frankly, we’re very disappointed.”
“We have provided Ukraine with a large number of tanks,” the Polish president said. “By doing so, we have weakened our own military potential and we have depleted our own military stocks.” That’s why Poland also hoped for support from Germany. A large part of the tank arsenal in the Polish Armed Forces consists of German Leopard tanks.
“So if we had been supported by Germany, if we had received a replacement in the form of a ring exchange, then we would have been very happy,” said Duda. “In fact, we received such a promise and Germany promised to deliver these tanks to us.” Poland supports its neighbor Ukraine against the Russian attack with Soviet T-72 tanks. Warsaw has already made it clear that it expects compensation from NATO partners, including Berlin.
Germany announced a so-called ring exchange with the Czech Republic last week. Berlin wants to provide the NATO partner with 15 Leopard 2 tanks from industrial stocks and use them to offset heavy weapons deliveries from the Czech Republic to Ukraine.
