Poland delivers its first Leopard tanks to Ukraine – DW – 02/24/2023

Poland confirmed the delivery of its first Leopard tanks to Ukraine on Friday as Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki visited Kiev to celebrate The first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

At a meeting of the National Security Council in Warsaw, President Andrzej Duda said, “The prime minister could not have been here, he went to Kiev to bring Leopard tanks which are the first batch delivered to Ukraine.”

After a brief period Berlin agreed to export German-made battle tanksUkrainian crews begin training on Leopard 2 tanks in Poland.

Morawiecki said four tanks had been delivered. But it was not immediately clear if they were a Leopard 2 or not Their predecessor, the Leopard 1.

Duda said in January that Poland would give 14 tigers to its neighbor.

The Prime Minister of Poland in Kyiv

During his visit to Kiev, Morawiecki met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and laid a wreath at the Fallen Defenders Memorial alongside Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

Morawiecki said that Poland will support Ukraine until it defeats Russia and will deliver more tanks soon.

“On the Anniversary of the fierce Russian attack on UkraineI am in Kiev to give a clear signal of further support for the defense of Ukraine.

He said that Poland is ready to train Ukrainian pilots for F-16 fighter jets He calls on Kiev’s Western allies to hand over the planes.

“I stress that this must always be agreed upon within the broader coalition, but Poland is ready to conduct such an exercise,” he told reporters.

Poland has been one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters since Russia launched the war on February 24, 2022. Warsaw has repeatedly urged its NATO and European Union allies to do so. Stepping up military aid to the war-torn country.

fb/rt (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)