Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky has asked the West to help his country with more firepower as Russian war in Kyiv nears a year.
Speaking during a meeting with his Western allies, including the US, President Volodymr Zelensky expressed his hunger for more artillery to defend his country against February last year’s inversion by Moscow. The meeting took place in Germany, where it was attended by more than 50 defence ministers from around European countries, and the United States, which lend their support President Volodymr Zelensky, to totally repel Russian inversion. President Volodymr Zelensky expressed his frustrations, which have been attributed by many ‘thank you’ messages he gets from his Western allies. He would then go ahead to tell defence ministers at Ramstein airbase: “Hundreds of thank yous are not hundreds of tanks.”
Germany – in particular – had faced growing pressure from other European nations to send its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, but at the end of Friday’s meeting, it had not yet committed to their supply.The nation was also under pressure to allow other countries to provide Ukraine with their own Leopard tanks.Under German law, the government in Berlin would have to give its permission before countries such as Poland or Finland could commit to re-exporting them.The pressure on Germany to send its Leopard 2 Tanks to Kyiv is mounting because almost 11 months into Russia’s war in Ukraine, Nato military figures believe that Moscow is planning a renewed spring offensive with troop numbers bolstered by a partial mobilisation since the end of September.Western officials see a potential ‘window of opportunity’ in the coming weeks for Ukraine to push Russian forces back, should there be a full support from the more than 50 countries that had gathered in Germany to express their support for President Volodymr Zelensky. They say Moscow is running short of ammunition and trained troops – despite efforts to replenish stocks and mobilise additional forces.
