London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Poland can send Leopard tanks to Ukraine, German vice chancellor says

Poland can send Leopard tanks to Ukraine, German vice chancellor says

Because the tanks are German-made, it has been unclear whether Warsaw needed Berlin’s OK to transfer them.
Germany should not stand in the way if Poland decides to send Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck said Thursday, seemingly putting the ball in Warsaw’s court on supplying Kyiv with Western tanks.

Polish President Andrzej Duda said Wednesday that a Polish “company of Leopard tanks for Ukraine will be transferred as part of international coalition building,” adding that “such a decision is already [taken] in Poland.” However, it was unclear whether Warsaw would get Berlin’s approval, given the Leopard 2 tanks are made in Germany and have restrictions about being re-exported.

Habeck on Thursday sought to clear up the confusion, arguing Berlin should approve a potential Polish request.

“There is a difference between making a decision for oneself and preventing the decision of others,” said the vice chancellor, who also oversees arms export controls as economy minister. “And accordingly, Germany should not stand in the way when other countries make decisions to support Ukraine, regardless of what decision Germany makes.”

Habeck’s words mark the latest twist in the sharp debate about supplying Ukraine with modern, Western-made battle tanks. The U.S., France and Germany agreed last week to send light tanks and infantry fighting vehicles to Kyiv. And Britain is mulling whether to send Challenger 2 battle tanks. Western tanks could help Ukraine reconquer lost territories as the war drags into its second year.

Although German Chancellor Olaf Scholz can, in theory, have the final word on whether Poland’s German-made tanks go to Ukraine, Habeck’s public statement will make it difficult for him to say no without fracturing his ruling coalition.

Still, Habeck was more cautious when asked whether Germany would send its own tanks to Ukraine, saying the country would make its decision “in alliance with other partners and countries” — a position that echoes Scholz’s line that Berlin must closely coordinate such steps with partners, first and foremost the United States.

A lot will now depend on what Poland actually does: When asked on Thursday whether Warsaw had already asked Berlin for permission to donate its Leopards to Kyiv, a spokesperson for Habeck’s economy ministry referred to a prior statement about the government not being aware of any requests.

German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht also said on Thursday that “there are no requests from Poland or other nations for such [Leopard] deliveries.”

A broad number of European countries currently use Leopard 2 tanks, including Germany, Poland, Denmark, Finland, Spain and Greece. Duda’s remarks about an “international coalition” indicate the Polish leader might not be willing to go alone in sending his country’s tanks to Ukraine.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×