Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki
The Polish government needs the approval of Germany, as the manufacturer of the weapons, for its export to third countries. The German government affirmed yesterday that it would not put up any obstacles, but that it had not received any requests.
Poland will apply to the German federal government for permission to supply German-made Leopard-type tanks to Ukraine. This was announced by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Monday (23.01.2023) in Poznan. In statements to the Polish press, the head of the Executive reiterated that “if we do not obtain this consent, we will deliver our tanks together with other countries to Ukraine.”
Morawiecki, affirmed this Monday that his country will raise the request “soon” and was in favor of forming an international alliance that supplies heavy weapons to Ukraine that, even without German participation, unites “the States that want to help in this dramatic fight in Ukraine”.
“We are constantly putting pressure on the Berlin government to make their Leopard 2s available (for export),” Morawiecki emphasized, adding that the Germans “have more than 350 operational Leopards and about 200 in storage.” Poland announced its intention to send a company of “Leopard” tanks which, being German-made, require express permission from Berlin to be exported to third countries.
Germany has been reticent to send its own weapons despite international criticism, including from Poland itself, which described it as “unacceptable”, although this weekend it indicated its willingness to authorize it if requested. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock’s remarks that she was open to Poland supplying Ukraine with Leopard tanks were welcomed in Warsaw. “It is a step in the right direction,” Polish presidential adviser Marcin Przydacz said on Polish radio today. “If we are asked, we will not stand in the way” of the export of Leopards to Ukraine, Baerbock said in an interview on French television Sunday. However, Germany “had not yet been asked,” she explained.