Poland's defence minister hopeful Germany will send tanks to Ukraine

The Polish defence minister said on Thursday that he hopes Germany will change its mind and agree to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

During a videoconference called to discuss aid for Ukraine with the defence ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Great Britain, Mariusz Błaszczak said that he would address the Leopard 2 issue while visiting the Ramstein airbase in Germany on Friday. He added that at Ramstein he would also remind the German side about the Polish president's recent suggestions in the matter.

"I will reiterate President Andrzej Duda's proposals regarding the deployment of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine," Błaszczak said.

Earlier this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Duda suggested that Poland could send some of its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. Duda also said that Ukraine needed more aid and appealed for a coalition of states ready to aid Ukraine's army.

At a later press conference, Błaszczak said he hoped Germany would be part of such a coalition. He also said Poland's fears that if Russia would win the conflict with Ukraine, it would be tempted to attack other countries.

Błaszczak said that this was why Poland was modernising and re-equipping its armed forces.