Germany will allow German-made Leopard 2 tanks to be sent to Ukraine if the United States agrees to send Abrams battle tanks in return, a German government source told Reuters.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has repeatedly stressed the condition behind closed doors in recent days, the person said on condition of anonymity.

Western allies will meet at a US air base in Germany on Friday to announce the arrival of weapons to Ukraine.

Particular attention is focused on Germany, which has the right to veto any decision to send Leopard tanks deployed by the armies of NATO allies across Europe, which are considered the best for Ukraine.

Polish President Andrzej Duda told attendees at an economic forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday that he fears Russia is preparing a new offensive against Ukraine within months, and that it is therefore imperative to provide additional support to the government in Kyiv with modern tanks and missiles. .

Poland and Finland have already said they will send Leopard tanks if Germany agrees.

Berlin says the decision will be the first item on the agenda of Boris Pistorius, Germany’s new defense minister.

Pistorius will receive US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday.

US officials said on condition of anonymity that the administration of President Joe Biden intends to approve sending Stryker armored vehicles to Ukraine, but is not ready to send M1 Abrams tanks.

Britain stepped up pressure on Berlin this week by becoming the first Western country to send Western tanks, deploying a squadron of Challenger tanks, but Leopard tanks are seen as the best choice to provide Ukraine with a large-scale tank force.

The Wall Street Journal, with reference to high-ranking German officials, as well as Sueddeutsche Zeitung and Bild, reported for the first time on the condition put forward by Berlin for sending Leopard tanks.

The Wall Street Journal, citing high-ranking German officials, first reported on Wednesday the state of tanking in Berlin. Sueddeutsche Zeitung and Bild also had similar reports.

According to The Guardian, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday in Davos avoided answering a direct question about sending Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and said that a war between Russia and NATO should be avoided.

“Why are you hesitating with the decision to allow sending Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine?” – asked Scholz, after which the German chancellor said that Germany is one of the biggest supporters of Ukraine.

The Pentagon is trying to change the dynamics of the war in Ukraine without Abrams tanks

A senior Pentagon official said on Wednesday that the United States is seeking to break the momentum of a war of attrition and a near-freeze front in Ukraine with newly announced military capabilities that it hopes will give Kiev new momentum in its fight against Russian forces.

But Colin Kahl, the Pentagon’s chief policy adviser, said the Pentagon is not yet ready to meet Kyiv’s requests for M1 Abrams battle tanks.

“I don’t think we’re there yet,” said Cal, who just returned from a trip to Ukraine. “The Abrams tank is a very complex piece of equipment. It is expensive. He is difficult to teach. It has a jet engine.”

The head of NATO admits that Ukraine needs more advanced weapons

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday that Ukraine needs a “significant increase” in armaments at a crucial moment in the Russian invasion, and that such support is the only way to a peaceful, negotiated solution, Reuters reported.

“This is a crucial moment in the war and a significant increase in support for Ukraine is needed,” Stoltenberg told Reuters in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“If we want a peaceful, negotiated solution tomorrow, we must offer more weapons today.”

Asked in Davos about the German-made Leopard tanks, which would require Berlin’s approval before being exported from Poland or Finland, Stoltenberg said there was a “constant dialogue” between the allies. He noted that Germany has already provided aid to Ukraine, but a recognized the need for NATO members to provide more advanced weaponsCNN reports.

Defense leaders from about 50 countries and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will hold talks at Germany’s Ramstein Air Base on Friday, the latest in a series of meetings since Russian troops entered Ukraine nearly 11 months ago.

The talks in Ramstein are expected to focus not on what the United States will offer, but on whether Germany will drop its opposition to sending Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine, or at least approve their transfer from allied countries.