Poland in talks with Germany over giving Leopard tanks to Ukraine

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has confirmed that “talks are ongoing” over Poland’s plans to transfer its Leopard tanks to Ukraine. Berlin’s approval would be needed for Warsaw to hand over the German-made tanks to Kyiv.

“I spoke about it with Chancellor [Olaf] Scholz a few weeks ago in Brussels,” Morawiecki told journalists at the weekend. “That is all I can say at the moment. President [Andrzej Duda] is also involved. I think we may know more about this in the next few days.”

However, the prime minister noted that Poland would not make such a move unilaterally, and that its aim is to “build a broader coalition of countries that could donate heavy, modern equipment” to Kyiv.

His remarks came after sources told the Wall Street Journal last week that Poland, which has over 240 Leopard tanks, wants to give some – and eventually even all – of them to Ukraine.

Did will today hold a meeting with Morawiecki and other government ministers to “to discuss the current security situation and allied policy related to the war in Ukraine”, the head of the president’s National Security Bureau (BBN), Jacek Siewiera, announced this morning.

The talks will concern additional military support for Kyiv, including Leopard tanks, reported news service Onet, citing sources.

Germany, which manufactures the Leopards and holds the export licence for them, must approve any transfer of Poland’s tanks. Finland has also expressed willingness to hand over Leopards to Ukraine, putting pressure on Berlin, reports the UK’s Daily Telegraph.

Last week, the US announced it would provide Ukraine with Bradley fighting vehicles, while Germany will donate similar Marder vehicles and France will hand over dozens of AMX-10 RC armoured vehicles, also known as “light tanks”.

But analysts say that Ukraine needs Leopards to gain the upper hand on the battlefield. The tanks are much more heavily armoured and better protected against anti-tank missiles than the other vehicles offered by France, Germany and the United States, and would give Ukraine an edge against Russia’s T-72 tanks.

Early in the war Poland, gave Ukraine at least 240 of its own Soviet-designed T-72s. It then became embroiled in a diplomatic dispute with Germany, whom Duda accused of reneging on a promise to replace the T-72s with Leopards. Berlin denied the claims.

Since Russia’s invasion last year, Poland has been one of the biggest donors of military equipment to Ukraine. The €1.8 billion it had provided by 20 November was behind only the US, UK and Germany, according to the Kiel institute’s Ukraine Support Tracker.

Last week, Berlin also announced that it will provide Ukraine with a Patriot air defence system battery. That will come in addition to the Patriot batteries it was already planning to transfer to easter Poland, the German government’s spokesman told Polsat News.

After Germany’s decision was announced, Morawiecki called it a “big win” and noted that it had been the Polish government that in November first proposed that German Patriot systems be sent to Ukraine.

Both the prime minister and defence minister, Mariusz Błaszczak, revealed over the weekend that talks are ongoing with Berlin over the transfer of Patriots to Poland. But Błaszczak noted that they would be integrated into Poland’s air defence systems.

Last week, Błaszczk approved the purchase of 116 M1A1 Abrams tanks from the US, in addition to a previous deal to buy 250 M1A2 Abrams tanks. It has also reached an agreement with South Korea that would eventually see Poland acquire 1,000 K2 tanks.

Main photo credit: Erik Morren/1GNC Münster (under CC BY 2.0)

Alicja Ptak

Alicja Ptak is senior editor at Notes from Poland and a multimedia journalist. She previously worked for Reuters.