Poland advocates for more modern tanks for Ukraine
Poland has been encouraging other countries to provide Ukraine with modern tanks such as the German-made Leopard, a Polish deputy foreign minister has said.
Main battle tanks, which could give Ukraine an enhanced offensive capability, has long been at the top of Kyiv’s weapons wish list.
On Thursday, US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that the US will hand over a number of Bradley and Marder armoured infantry vehicles, together with a US Patriot anti-missile system battery.
The exact number of vehicles was not disclosed, but the media claim 50 Bradleys and 40 Marders will be offered to Ukraine.
Pawel Jablonski, a deputy foreign minister, praised the decision on Polish public radio on Monday.
"It is a change in a good direction, although it is still insufficient," Jablonski said. "We continue to believe that there should be more of this equipment, that the equipment should be more advanced, for example when it comes to tanks."
Jablonski said that Poland was the first country to offer tanks to Ukraine and has been encouraging other countries to do the same.
He added that the Polish prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, and the defence minister, Mariusz Blaszczak, would like to build "a broader coalition to provide the most modern tanks (to Ukraine - PAP), for example Leopards."
