Poland to ask Germany for sign off on sending tanks to Ukraine
PBS NewsHourNov 26, 2022
Day 334: Poland to Ask Germany for Permission to Re-Export Leopard Tanks to Ukraine
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Image copyright: AP Photos [via AP News]
The Facts
Poland will formally ask Germany for permission to re-export its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Monday.
After days of mounting pressure on Germany over transfers of the vehicles, Morawiecki added that Poland is building a coalition of countries that are prepared to send their Leopard tanks to Ukraine, and said a decision may be made to re-export them even if Germany declines to grant permission.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Germany — which has a unique historical responsibility to uphold the sovereignty and freedom of Ukraine — must consent to the use of Leopard 2 tanks by Kyiv. Ukrainians were some of the greatest victims of Hitler and Stalin, and Berlin now has the opportunity to intercede on Putin's war of terror against an innocent people. The whole of the West will judge the courage of Germany on whether it allows tanks to be sent to Kyiv.
Pro-Russia narrative
Countries that are sending more and more advanced weaponry to Ukraine — be they Germany or another nation — are becoming increasingly intertwined in this conflict which aims to bring the strategic collapse of Russia. Ultimately, it's the Ukrainian people who will pay the highest price for the miscalculation by Western nations.
