The German government won’t oppose Poland sending German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, if Warsaw makes such a request, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told French TV channel LCI on Sunday.
Her remarks came as pressure mounted on Germany over its reluctance to send its own tanks or approve the export of German-made tanks from other nations, which prompted backlash from Western allies that say it’s urgent to get them to Ukraine to bolster its fighting capacity this year.
The Polish government has condemned Berlin’s hesitancy as “unacceptable” and said it stands ready to send some of its own, though it requires Germany’s legal authorization before doing so.
Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe.
4. From our correspondents
The United States bought 14 percent of its uranium in 2021 from Russia, writes Steven Mufson, but any action against Rosatom shouldn’t result in significantly higher electricity costs because American utilities have already started seeking more uranium supplies. Henry Sokolski, executive director of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center, said that, “at worst, some long-term Russian supply contracts could not be executed, and that would perhaps raise the price of electricity 1 or 2 percent.”
He added: “Given that we’re spending $100 billion plus to help Ukraine out, it would be a rounding error.”
Claire Parker contributed to this report.
