First Leopard tanks to be deployed to Kyiv very soon

• Olaf Scholz urged allies to prepare for a protracted war.
• And Emmanuel Macron urged allies to intensify support for Ukraine.
• Officials from Russia have not been invited.

Olaf Scholz, the chancellor of Germany, stated that Germany would soon be able to send its first Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

Just a few days before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion, he urged allies to prepare for a protracted war when speaking at the annual Munich Security Conference.

Emmanuel Macron of France added that the invasion of Ukraine was not the right time for engagement with Russia.

An annual gathering of leaders, government representatives, and diplomats, this event has a transatlantic theme this year.

Together with around 30 European heads of state, US Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken are in attendance with a sizable legislative delegation.

To demonstrate to Russian President Vladimir Putin that Germany and its allies would not give up on Ukraine, Mr. Scholz said at the conference that it was “smart to prepare for a lengthy conflict.”

According to Ukrainian officials, heavier armaments are desperately needed, and more battle tanks might aid Kyiv’s army in taking back territory from the Russians.

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Germany agreed in January to approve the transfer of heavy Leopard tanks produced in Germany, despite rising pressure on it in previous months over its ostensible reluctance to sell arms to Ukraine.

It also made it possible for other nations to deliver their Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, which was previously prohibited by export laws.

The next few weeks, according to Mr. Macron, will be crucial. He added that allies must “intensify our support” for Ukraine so that it can launch a counteroffensive and eventually enter negotiations from a position of strength.

Previously, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged partners to speed up the supply of weaponry, stressing that defeating Moscow was the only option, in a video message to the assembled leaders.

Officials from Russia have not been invited.

The meeting will give Ukraine’s friends the chance to evaluate Russia’s invasion over a year after it occurred. The agenda is vast, covering topics like China and climate change.

There will be encouraging comments for Kiev. But as economic constraints increase, there will also be concerns about the strength and durability of Western commitment.

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