Ukraine has a new cache of weapons on the way — but not German tanks

Ukraine has managed to rally the West once again to supply weapons, including Bradley fighting vehicles, self-propelled Howitzers, and more, a month ahead of the war’s one-year anniversary. Though there’s been an enthusiastic response from many nations, Germany is still holding out on supplying the Leopard 2A$ tank, which Ukraine says could be key for a spring offensive — and which is causing frustration for NATO allies.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Friday at the US Ramstein Air Base in Germany told reporters that his government had not yet agreed to send the tanks or allow third-party nations that own the German-made vehicles to send them to Ukraine for a possible spring offensive. Defense ministers from allied countries met at the US military base Friday to discuss further weapons packages for Ukraine.

Throughout the war there’s been a high level of coordination between NATO and other allies, not just about weapons packages but on applying sanctions to Russia and other forms of aid for Ukraine. Coordination on weapons packages requires diplomacy, and there are laws and regulations surrounding weapons transfers — hence the meeting at Ramstein and a Thursday confab in Estonia.

However, calls for the Leopard tanks — and disappointment with Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz for refusing to allow their release — have overshadowed news of the weapons packages, which are coming as a result of coordination by some 50 countries. On Saturday, the Baltic states — Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania — released a statement urging Germany to provide the tanks immediately. “Germany as the leading European power has special responsibility in this regard,” the statement said in part.