Trouble over tank ring exchange: Poland "very disappointed" by the federal government

According to Polish President Andrzej Duda, the German government is not fulfilling its promises from the exchange of armored rings agreed with Poland - and that's not the only reason why it is angry.

Trouble over tank ring exchange: Poland "very disappointed" by the federal government

According to Polish President Andrzej Duda, the German government is not fulfilling its promises from the exchange of armored rings agreed with Poland - and that's not the only reason why it is angry. Germany is doing too little to help Ukraine.

Polish President Andrzej Duda has accused the German government of not keeping its promises when it comes to swapping tanks. The government in Berlin has promised Poland "Leopard" tanks to replace the existing Polish tanks delivered by his country to Ukraine, Duda told the Welt television station, according to a preliminary report. "They didn't keep that promise. And frankly, we're very disappointed."

Poland has made "a large number of tanks" available to Ukraine, the Polish head of state said. "By doing so, we have weakened our own military potential and we have depleted our own military stocks." That's why the Polish government hoped for support from NATO as a whole, from the USA and also from Germany.

A large part of the tank arsenal in the Polish Armed Forces consists of German tanks of the "Leopard" type. "If we had gotten a replacement in the form of a ring exchange, then we would have been very happy," the Polish head of state continued. "In fact, we received such a promise and Germany promised to supply us with these tanks. They did not fulfill that promise." In general, the federal government is doing too little to help Ukraine, said Duda. Also because of the lack of German commitment, Poland stepped in with tank deliveries.

The federal government has declared its willingness to deliver heavy weapons to Ukraine, but has often been criticized by Ukraine and the opposition for being too hesitant to implement it. Among other things, Berlin had also announced ring exchanges with Slovenia and the Czech Republic. The NATO partners are supplying the Ukraine with battle tanks of the Soviet type T-72 and, in return for replenishing their stocks, are to receive German tanks of the type "Leopard" or "Marder" among other things.