Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. Photo: Getty
Speaking in Berlin during the 50th anniversary of the career of German politician Wolfgang Schauble, Morawiecki stressed that Germany must allow the delivery of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. Poland and Finland have promised to supply Kiev with tanks, but need official German permission to be able to deliver.
Mr. Morawiecki stressed: “Ukrainians are fighting not only for their freedom but also for the defense of Europe. I call on the German government to act decisively and supply Ukraine with weapons.”
“Ukraine’s defeat could become the start of World War III, so there is no reason to continue delaying aid,” he added.
Last week, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Aleksey Reznikov said in an interview that Ukraine is shedding blood to carry out the “NATO mission”, so the US-led bloc must supply Kiev with weapons.
Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger claims Germany has about 110 Leopard tanks capable of delivering to Ukraine – 88 of which are old Leopard 1s – but will cost hundreds of millions of euros and take about a year to become effective. tweak them and actually bring them to the battlefield.
Moscow has repeatedly warned the West that sending weapons to Kiev would only prolong the conflict, not change the final outcome. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said German tanks “will catch fire like other Western weapons”.
CIA director secretly went to Kiev before the Ukraine conflict?
CIA Director Bill Burns is said to have made a secret visit to Ukraine in January 2022, a month before the Russian operation began.
The secret meeting between Mr. Burns and Mr. Zelensky is recounted in an upcoming book by author Chris Whipple about Joe Biden’s presidency, Business Insider reported on January 16. The trip comes at a time when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly rejected US claims that Russia is preparing to attack Kiev, arguing the warnings are creating “panic”.
Mr. Burns, who served as US ambassador to Russia from 2005 to 2008, provided Mr. Zelensky with details of Russia’s military strike plans, according to Whipple’s book. The author did not identify his source, stating that his interviews were conducted on condition of anonymity.
US intelligence agencies do not appear to be entirely accurate in their assessments of Ukraine. For example, they told the White House that Russia would overwhelm and defeat Ukrainian forces within a few days, but in reality the hostilities have now lasted more than 10 months.