Germany will not block Poland giving Ukraine tanks, minister says

A woman stands in front of a display of destroyed Russian tanks and armoured vehicles in Kyiv, Ukraine (Daniel Cole/AP)

Germany’s top diplomat says her country would not object if Poland decides to send Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine.

French TV channel LCI posted clips from an interview with foreign minister Annalena Baerbock on Sunday, in which she said her government has not received a formal request for approval from Warsaw, but added “if we were asked, we would not stand in the way”.

The Ukrainian government has said it needs advanced tanks to continue its defence against Russia’s invasion and war.

Berlin has hesitated in signing off on supplying the German-made Leopards, but agreed on Friday to review its stocks.

Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki criticised Germany’s reluctance, saying that if the country did not consent to transferring Leopard tanks to Ukraine, his country was prepared to build a “smaller coalition” of countries that would send theirs anyway.