Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has suggested in an interview with ARD that Germany will eventually decide to transfer combat tanks to Ukraine. For now, Ukraine asks Germany to speed up the adoption of such a decision and allow it to other countries that are ready to transfer their tanks made in Germany.
"We want a fair approach to the tank issue, without delay. As we have learned over the past 10 months, it will happen anyway - it is only a matter of time. Why torture yourself, us and everyone, and not just make a decision you can be proud of without delay?" the minister asked.
According to Kuleba, if Germany has any reason not to supply tanks to Ukraine now, it will still do it in the future. This was the case with self-propelled howitzers, with the IRIS-T anti-aircraft system and recently with the Marder infantry fighting vehicles and the Patriot air defence system, he reminded.
He denied that the new decision could lead to an escalation because it is Russia that escalates the situation whenever it wants.
"But every day of decision-making in Berlin or other capitals also means that someone dies at the front because of the lack of artillery or tanks. It means that Russian Wagner mercenaries will continue their offensive and will be able to capture our trenches. What is a day of debate in Berlin is also a day of fear, suffering, pain, and sometimes death for Ukrainian civilians and military," he complained.
Kuleba also called on the German government to give the "go-ahead" to other countries to transfer German-made equipment to Ukraine.