As early as January, President Duda announced that he intended to hand over Leopard tanks to Ukraine. According to its own statements, Poland is now making good on this promise. At the same time, Ukrainian soldiers would be trained at the training center in Swietoszow.
According to a media report, Poland has delivered the first Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine. "Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will announce in Kiev on Friday that Poland has already delivered the first Leopard tanks to Ukraine," the state news agency PAP reported, citing government circles.
At the end of January, the federal government approved the export of German-made Leopard tanks to other countries after intensive pressure from Poland, among others. Germany itself wants to hand over 14 modern Bundeswehr Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Kiev. Poland announced that it would provide Ukraine with older-type Leopard 2 tanks.
Morawiecki is visiting Kiev on Friday to mark the first anniversary of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The head of government wanted to send a "clear signal" of support, said Polish government spokesman Piotr Muller on Twitter.
As a neighboring country to Ukraine, Poland is particularly affected by the consequences of the war. On Tuesday and Wednesday, US President Joe Biden visited Warsaw and met, among others, the leaders of the nine Eastern European NATO countries and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
