Russia scorns Germany for sending Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine | Russia-Ukraine war News
The Russian Embassy in Berlin said that Germany’s transfer of Leopard 2 to Kiev would lead to “permanent escalation”.
Moscow criticizes Berlin’s move to supply Ukraine with battle tanks and accused Germany of abdicating “historic responsibility towards Russia” arising from Nazi atrocities during World War II.
The Russian Embassy in Germany said on Wednesday its decision to send 14 German-made aircraft. Leopard 2 . tank to Kyiv and allowing allies to re-export similar models would push the war in Ukraine to a new level and lead to a “permanent escalation”.
Ambassador Sergei Nechayev said: “This extremely dangerous decision takes the conflict to a new level of confrontation and contradicts statements by German politicians that the Federal Republic of Germany does not want to be excluded. pull in it”.
“It destroys what remains of mutual trust, causes irreparable damage to the already dire state of Russian-German relations, and casts doubt on the possibility of normalization of the Russian Federation. them in the near future”.
Kyiv has for months appealed to Western tanks, arguing that they are essential to providing the firepower and maneuverability of troops to breach Russian defenses and recapture occupied territory in Russia. east and south.
Moscow has repeatedly said that Western-supplied tanks will “burn” and rejected the idea that they would affect the outcome of the 11-month war. conflictwarned they would only prolong Ukraine’s suffering.
The German move is expected to pave the way for Poland, Finland and a host of other European countries to supply Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine from their own Leopard 2 stockpiles.
“With the approval of the German leadership, German cross-shaped battle tanks will again be sent to the ‘eastern front’, which will inevitably lead to the death of not only Russian soldiers. but also civilians,” Nechayev said.
The UK has committed to providing 14 Challenger 2 battle tanks to Kiev, while the US is ready to reverse course and supply Ukraine with more than 30 M1 Abrams of its own.
