British foreign minister James Cleverly said that London still wants Ukraine to receive the German-made Leopard tanks as the war reaches its 11th month. However, the transfer of such tanks still needs Berlin’s approval.
Cleverly said Sunday that the United Kingdom still wants an international deal to be made in order to provide Ukraine with the needed Leopard tanks. The German-made tanks are seen by experts as the most suitable in the war in Ukraine.
“Of course, I would like to see the Ukrainians equipped with things like the Leopard 2 as well as the artillery systems that have been provided by us and others,” Cleverly told Sky News. “I will keep having those conversations with our NATO allies and friends, to facilitate the donation of the best military equipment to Ukraine to help them defend themselves against this brutal invasion.”
When pressed on whether Germany is doing enough to support Ukraine, Cleverly said while he wants “everybody going as far as they can,” each country will provide support to Ukraine in a way they see is appropriate for them.
Friday’s meeting at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany resulted in Ukraine’s western allies pledging billions in additional military assistance that include other weapons. However, no progress was made to lift Germany’s veto over sending Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
This is due to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s governing Social Democratic Party expressing skepticism of military involvement and caution over a further escalation in the war amidst threats by the Kremlin of such further escalation.
The British defense ministry said that Russian forces are undergoing a revamp since the appointment of General Valery Gerasimov as the new commander and Chief of the General Staff. Gerasimov likely began his duties through efforts to improve the Russian troops’ day-to-day discipline, with officers attempting to clamp down on those wearing non-regulation uniforms, travelling in civilian vehicles, using mobile phones, and having non-standard haircuts.
The ministry noted that the response to such efforts was met with skepticism, but with the most criticism on the attempts to improve the shaving of troops. The ministry cited the officials in the so-called People’s Republic of Donetsk that said such focus on beards was a “farce” that would only “hamper the process of destroying the enemy.”