Stoltenberg Confident NATO Will Reach Consensus On Ukraine Tanks

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th January, 2023) NATO member-states will soon find a solution to the alliance' split on whether or not to send tanks to Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday.

"We discussed the issue of battle tanks consultations among allies. Will continue, and I am confident that we will have a solution soon," Stoltenberg said during a press conference with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius in Berlin.

Discordant opinions emerged among� NATO countries this month about sending battle tanks to Ukraine in connection with the latest developments on the front line in the Donetsk People's Republic. The main snag was Germany's reluctance to send its Leopard 2 tanks to Kiev.

On January 11, Polish President Andrzej Duda, during his visit to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, said his country would hand over a batch of German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine as part of an international coalition.

In addition, last week, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that Warsaw could transfer its Leopard tanks to Ukraine without Germany's consent.

Morawiecki's statement caused discontent in Germany since third countries are not allowed to send Leopard tanks without Berlin lifting export restrictions.

On Sunday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that Berlin would lift export restrictions on the supply of Leopard tanks to Ukraine for third countries if any such requests were made. On Tuesday, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said that Warsaw had requested permission from Germany to transfer Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.