Ukraine war: Poland to send Kyiv 'a company of Leopards' and six other top developments
Poland has decided to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine as part of an international coalition, the Polish president said on Wednesday, as Warsaw seeks to play a leading role in reaching a consensus among Western allies on such support.
Kyiv has been requesting heavy military vehicles, such as the German-made Leopard 2, which would represent a significant step up in Western support to Ukraine.
"A company of Leopard tanks will be handed over as part of coalition-building," Andrzej Duda said during a visit to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. "We want it to be an international coalition."
A company typically consists of 14 tanks.
Duda said that he hoped that the Polish tanks, together with tanks from other countries, would soon travel to Ukraine.
Speaking alongside Duda, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that a joint decision was necessary, as one country would not be able to provide Kyiv with a sufficient number of tanks.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Saturday that Poland did not intend to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine without forming a broader coalition.
Any re-export of Leopard tanks requires approval by the government in Berlin.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday that he remained convinced of the need to coordinate weapons deliveries to Ukraine with allies.
However, a German government spokesman said on Wednesday that it was unaware of any requests from its allies to send Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine.
Ukraine's military denied on Wednesday that Russian forces had taken control of the eastern town of Soledar, saying the intensity of battles in the area could be compared to fighting in World War II.
Serhiy Cherevatyi, a spokesperson for the eastern military command, told Ukrainian television
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