War in Ukraine: Deliveries of new tanks delayed in Ramstein

It was supposed to be a decisive meeting for Ukraine. For days, Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been calling Westerners, from Kyiv to Davos, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, increasingly, demanding a mass shipment of tanks. Necessary equipment for fighting at the front, always intense, especially in the area of ​​​​Bakhmut, a city in the east of the country. Presidential adviser Mikhail Podolyak even urged his allies to “stop trembling before Putin.” In his sights: Germany.

But despite mounting pressure from several of its European neighbors, Berlin has not made a decision to send Leopard 2 tanks. The issue was “discussed” during this meeting, organized in Ramstein, with about 50 Western countries, but “no decision was made” , said the new German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius during a press conference. “Today we cannot say when and what the decision on the Leopard tanks will be,” he added.

What decisions have been made at Ramstein?

No, the disapproval of Berlin is thus slowing down the sending of new tanks. But hours before negotiations began, several allies announced an increase in their aid. Washington said it is issuing a new $2.5 billion package of 59 Bradley armored vehicles, on top of the 50 light armored vehicles promised on January 6, and 90 Stryker armored personnel carriers, according to the Pentagon.

The UK pledged to send an additional 600 Brimstone missiles, Denmark 19 French-made Caesar guns, and Sweden an Archer self-propelled artillery mount. As for Finland, this Friday it pledged 400 million euros in military aid, its largest contribution to date, including artillery and ammunition.

Finally, the Netherlands indicated that they were going to help Kyiv arm itself with the Patriot air defense system. “These are two launchers and missiles,” the Dutch defense ministry said in a statement confirming “a joint project with the US and Germany.”

What was your reaction after the meeting?

The German status quo clearly hurt the head of the Ukrainian state: “Yes, we still have to fight for the supply of modern tanks,” he regretted. “But we are making it more and more obvious every day that there is no other solution than the tank solution,” he said in the video. Nevertheless, Volodymyr Zelenskyy was pleased with the meeting, which will “strengthen our resilience”, citing “hundreds of combat vehicles that have entered service” and “significant results on missiles and anti-aircraft systems.”

Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov congratulated his new German counterpart on his appointment, praising the “frank discussion” of the Leopard 2 tanks. “To be continued,” he concluded on Twitter.

“There is an urgent need to step up support to allow Ukraine to win and reclaim its occupied territory,” said Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, earlier in the day, who welcomed the “new package” of aid delivered to Ukraine for its defense.

Lloyd Austin, US Secretary of Defense, acknowledged: “We can all do more.” “They are reliable, and they have been for a very long time, and I sincerely believe that they will continue to be a reliable ally in the future,” he said of the Germans and their refusal of new deliveries of Leopard 2 tanks. During the close of the meeting, a trained soldier, finally, welcomed the “unwavering support” for Ukraine from the approximately fifty countries present on that day of consultations.