there Germany gives in to the pressure United States and after days of indecisiveness, sending opens up tank leopard atUkraineannouncing that Berlin is ready to grant the permit Poland to supply the coveted German tanks by the Kyiv Armed Forces. It wasn’t the chancellor who bared himself for the umpteenth time Olaf Scholz, which still does not have a clear position on military aid. She was Secretary of State Annalena bear buck to explain on French television Lci that “if the request is sent to us, then we will not resist“: A sentence pronounced shortly after the summit between Chancellor Scholz and the French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. A sign that the issue of sending the leopards to Kyiv is dividing the German executive itself. And the OK of the 27 EU foreign ministers also comes from the EU new tranche of military aid to Ukraine from the value of 500 million.
In the meantime, the answer from the deputy foreign minister has arrived from Moscow Sergei Ryabkov: Russian Armed Forces”they will crumble“All weapons and military assets that Western countries will supply to Ukraine. “Russia’s opponents – said Ryabkov – continue the use on, but as we have said firmly or confidently on numerous occasions, the objectives of the military special operation will be achieved”. While Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov issued a warning to the western bloc: The war between Russia and the West, he said, “it’s not hybrid anymore” but “almost real”. Diplomatic break between Estonia and Russia: Moscow summons Estonian ambassador Tallinn expels the Federation. As a result, Latvia has also decided to expel the Russian diplomat out of solidarity with its Baltic neighbors.
The confrontation between the USA and Germany – the incessant pressing from Washington led to a first result exactly in the 48 hours after the summit Ramsteinwhere on the problem it delivers tank there would have been a hard clash between the US Secretary of Defense, lloyd austinand closest adviser to Scholz, wolfgang Schmidt. The Süddeutsche Zeitung tells the background in an article before Baerbock’s words on Sunday evening. Everything follows from Berlin’s position, revealed by the Wall Street Journal last Thursday, that is, on the eve of the Western Allies’ meeting at the German base: Germany, the American daily explained, has no intention of granting permits the export in Ukraine the over 2 thousand leopards made in Germany delivered to the Bornuntil the United States delivers their tanks abrams. “Germany’s NATO allies reacted with open incomprehension or similar anger badly hidden Chancellor Scholz’s decision not to promise to supply Leopard tanks to Ukraine. The tone in the US government was special Sharp“, reads the article in the Süddeutsche Zeitung. According to the Bavarian newspaper, Foreign Secretary Austin demonstrated openly in Ramstein disagreement with Scholz’s closest collaborator and the officials’ meeting would be “tense“. Also the national security adviser to the President of the United States, according to the newspaper Jake Sullivan it would have sharply criticized Germany’s actions in conversation phone with the adviser to the German chancellor Jens Pletner.
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Baerbock’s words and Scholz’s caution – Criticism that had an effect, at least according to statements by Minister Baerbock, who instead opened up the dispatch of German leopards to Kyiv by third countries, in this case Poland. However, Baerbock pointed out that “the question has not been asked for the time being” by Warsaw, which is obliged to make an official request to Berlin. “We know how important these tanks are, and that’s why we stand by them to discuss now with our partners,” he added. The Berlin opening comes after days barn on the issue of tanks, which are in great demand by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to get one Clear offensive advantage about the Russians. And it comes at the end of a day when German Chancellor Scholz, after pledging “all necessary support” to Kyiv, defended himself from Paris caution on the supply of tanks and emphasized that “the way we have acted in the past has always been fashionable close votig with our friends and allies, and we will continue to act on that basis location concrete“. Meanwhile, the French President too Emmanuel Macron Enter the game with heavy weapons, “not without” the delivery of tank Leclerc in Kyiv: “I asked the Minister of Defense to work on it”, but in any case “it is something that can be evaluated all together“, has explained.
The new Secretary of Defense – The words of the two heads of state reflect recent statements by the new German defense minister Boris Pistoriuswho announced his intention to visit Ukraine “probably within the next four weeks”, reiterated the “very close dialogue with international partners, particularly with the conditions United‘ on the question of the Leopards (and probably the American Abrams as well). According to the weekly newspaper Der Spiegel, Germany could eventually transfer 19 Leopard 2A5 tanks to Ukraine, including those currently used as training materials and destined for disposal if not sent to Kyiv. In an interview with the German TV channel Ard, Pistorius said that a decision was being made about shipping the German-made tanks. soon. But among the factors to consider, he added, are the consequences for the security of the population German.
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Squeezing Poland and Latvia – Berlin’s announcement is also a reaction to the words of the Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki who asked for “a clear statement” to authorize countries that have done so German leopards to send them to Kyiv – especially to Warsaw – defining “unacceptable” Germany’s attitude. And in favor of Kyiv also insists Londonthat after the delivery of the helicopter sea King would like “to see the Ukrainians equipped with things like the Leopard 2,” the foreign minister said James Sent. As the debate centered on new arms shipments, the word “Peace‘ from the mouths of both sides, while Moscow raised the tone again with the hawk Dmitry Medvedev who spoke of a West ready to “tear apart” and “endlessly destroy” Russia. From Kyiv, the President Zelensky At the same time, he claims that Ukraine “can win the war in 2023”, stressing that this will also depend “on the help of partners” and ruling out any partial victory: “We will certainly come back everything“.
Latvia also sides in support of the supplies, with the Foreign Minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, who said: “I trust the process in Germany, I see an active debate and I believe that Berlin will eventually send tanks to Ukraine, but we have to wait another day. We need to discuss fear that Fear of defeating Russiawhether it’s more sanctions or more military aid to Kyiv, there is fear of what might happen if Moscow loses the war, but if we accept the fact that Moscow must lose in order to limit future wars, it becomes easier if we overcome this step help ukraine regain all occupied territories why Russia must lose this war“.
Moscow’s reaction – The Federation, for its part, is trying to hit the European countries, which more than others are pushing for the delivery of new weapons to Kyiv. The Estonian ambassador was expelled from Moscow in response to the Estonian government’s “total Russophobia”. At the same time, the Kremlin is also trying to penetrate the cracks within the NATO-EU front on this issue. The spokesman for the presidency Dmitry Peskovactually spoke of “Nervousness among alliance members is growing”. And he quoted the “Declarations between European capitals, including Warsaw which threatens Berlin with international isolation. All of this indicates that nervousness among alliance members is steadily increasing.” And then he addresses his warning to European countries: “Those who directly or indirectly help to inundate Ukraine with weapons they are responsible for it and the Ukrainian people will pay for this pseudo-support”.
The Deputy Chairman of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, but insists on his statements under high diplomatic tension. In fact, he said, quoted by Tass, that “the world is getting closer danger of the Third World War in view of the preparations for aggression against Russia. The special operation currently being conducted was a coercive and extreme measure, in response to the preparations for aggression by the United States of America and its satellites. It’s obvious that because of what happened, the world was close to threatening World War III.”
Who seems to support Moscow’s thesis, in the European Union, is thatHungary, the country that has shown itself to be the closest to the Kremlin’s positions in almost a year of conflict. “The sanctions are leading Europe into a dead end. On an economic, political and security policy level. It would be a big mistake to propose a new sanctions package,” the Hungarian foreign minister wrote on Facebook. Peter Szijjarto, in Brussels for the Foreign Affairs Council, which will discuss the tenth set of restrictive measures against Russia that some countries, including Poland, want to adopt ahead of the EU-Ukraine summit scheduled for 3 February. This has not prevented Budapest, at least according to reports from some sources in Brussels, from supporting the shipment of new weapons to Kyiv for a total of 500 million euros within the framework of the European Peace Facility during the current meeting of EU foreign ministers.