Scholz Says Decision On Tanks To Kiev Not Dictated By Internal Political Pressure

Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published January 26, 2023 | 01:20 AM

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2023) The German government's decision to send tanks to Ukraine was dictated by the need to support Kiev, not by internal political pressure, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday.

The decision to supply German Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine came amid growing calls from the coalition parties in Scholz's cabinet to act on the issue as soon as possible.

"From my point of view, citizens of the country want to know if they can rely on those who are in charge and if they can withstand the pressure... Those who supply tanks should never do so because of internal political reasons," he said in an interview with the ZDF broadcaster.

Scholz said that the controversial decision was right under the current circumstances, adding that it would have been "irresponsible" to decide on the matter within the EU without listening to Germany's important ally, the United States.

The German chancellor also said that Leopard 2 tanks were very efficient, but warned against expecting the conflict in Ukraine to end any time soon.

During the interview, the chancellor was asked whether Ukraine should win, to which he did not give a straightforward answer and instead said that it "should not lose." When asked whether Russia should lose in that case, Scholz answered that Moscow "should not reach its goals."

Earlier in the day, the German government said it would send 14 Leopard 2A6 battle tanks to Ukraine. In the near future, Germany will prepare two tank battalions for Ukraine (around 60 tanks). Ukrainian tank crews are expected to start their training in Germany soon.

Western countries ramped up their military support for Ukraine after Russia launched a special military operation there on February 24, 2022, responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. In April, Moscow sent a note to NATO member states condemning their military assistance to Kiev. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any arms shipments on Ukrainian territory would be "legitimate targets" for Russian forces.