Germany’s Scholz in talks with allies about sending tanks to Ukraine

BERLIN - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he is in talks with allies over potentially supplying heavy tanks to Ukraine, but cautioned that any announcements would have to come in lockstep with others.

“I am always thinking about the situation,” Mr Scholz said, in an interview on Tuesday with Bloomberg News editor-in-chief John Micklethwait.

“We always act together with our allies and friends – we never go alone.”

Mr Scholz has been

under pressure from allies

to send German-made heavy Leopard battle tanks to Kyiv in the event that fighting intensifies in the spring. The Chancellor has been criticised for his cautiousness as he held back from supplying heavy weapons, arguing that would risk provoking Russian President Vladimir Putin into escalating his conflict in Ukraine.

The Chancellor won some respite earlier this month, with

an agreement to send 40 Marder combat vehicles and a Patriot air-defence system to Ukraine

as part of a joint announcement with the US.

Yet, the calls for more powerful Leopard tanks have continued.  

“We are supporting Ukraine for as long as necessary with all the means that we can use,” Mr Scholz said, adding that the aim is to “avoid that this is going to be a war between Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation”.

The UK on Saturday became

the first country to confirm it will send its battle tanks to Ukraine,

and European officials who deal with Berlin have said they expect Germany to follow suit in the near future.

The government is expected to make a decision on tanks ahead of a meeting of senior defence officials from allied nations on Friday at the US airbase in Ramstein, Germany. 

Russia’s move

Mr Scholz emphasised that Russia must withdraw its troops from Ukraine in order for any negotiations to happen, and that Germany would support Kyiv for as long as necessary. 

“I am very happy that the Ukrainian president is ready for peace,” Mr Scholz said. “Russia has to do something which they are as far as we see not ready to do and this is withdrawing troops – we are waiting for that.”

Since Russia invaded Ukraine last year, the German Chancellor abandoned Berlin’s postwar policy of not sending lethal weapons into combat zones and earmarked €100 billion (S$140 billion) to modernise the armed forces on top of an increase in annual defence spending that is set to reach Nato’s target of 2 per cent of GDP next year. 

The German government is in position to unlock dozens of German-made Leopard tanks for Ukraine, which could significantly boost Kyiv’s capabilities.

Twelve other European countries have Leopards in their arsenals, but

they need Berlin’s approval

before they can transfer the tanks.