JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday Kyiv needed allies to decide whether they would send modern tanks to bolster the country's defense against Russia.
Germany is said to be sending a Leopard 2 main battle tank (MBT) to Ukraine and allowing other countries to do the same, while the United States may supply the M1 Abrams MBT according to sources familiar with the matter, although Berlin and Washington have yet to officially confirm the news. the.
President Zelensky said the problem was not about five, 10 or 15 tanks, because Ukraine's needs were greater. But about reaching a final decision about real delivery.
"The discussions must end with a decision," President Zelensky said in a video address late in the evening, according to Reuters January 25.
"The decision to strengthen our defense against terrorists. The Allies have the required number of tanks. When the necessary important decisions are made, we will be happy to thank you for every important decision," he said.
Previously, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was wary of actions that could spur Russia to escalate war, and what they saw as the risk of the NATO alliance being drawn into the conflict.
President Zelensky repeated Ukraine's suggestion that Russia was planning a new wave of aggression, with the first signs already being seen in the greater Donbas region in southeastern Ukraine.
"The occupiers have increased the pressure around Bakhmut and Vuhledar and elsewhere," said President Zelensky.
"And they want to increase the pressure on a larger scale," he said.
The fighting around the eastern city of Bakhmut has intensified in recent weeks, with Russia claiming some success in its campaign there.
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