Russia says tank shipments to Ukraine are ‘direct involvement’ of the West in war

Moscow sees the delivery of modern Western main battle tanks to Ukraine as “direct involvement” in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

“There are constant statements from European capitals, from Washington that sending various weapons systems, including tanks, to Ukraine in no way signifies the involvement of these countries or the alliance in the ongoing hostilities in Ukraine,” Peskov said in his daily press conference with reporters.

“We absolutely disagree with that. Everything the alliance does is perceived as direct involvement in the conflict, and we see it growing,” he said.

After weeks of geopolitical wrangling, an important moment in the war in Ukraine has arrived: Germany has announced that it will supply Kiev troops with Leopard 2 tanks.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced the move on Wednesday, bowing to intensifying international pressure – led by the United States, Poland and a bloc of other European nations, which has urged Berlin to step up its military support and commit to shipping your vehicles.

Scholz told the German parliament on Wednesday that his government would send 14 Leopard tanks to Ukraine, ending months of deliberations and several days of tense negotiations with NATO partners.

“This is the result of intensive consultations carried out with Germany’s closest European and international partners,” said a government statement.

The German army has 320 Leopard 2 tanks in its possession, but does not reveal how many would be ready for battle, a Defense Ministry spokeswoman told CNN .

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff welcomed the news that Germany will send Leopard 2 combat tanks to his country and reiterated that they need “a lot” of them.

“The tank’s first step has been taken. Next comes the “coalition of tanks”. We need a lot of Leopards,” Andriy Yermak said on Telegram.