Germany Hesitant as NATO Agrees to Send Lethal Weapons to Ukraine

Strait Talk

In one of its strongest signs of support for Ukraine, the US and its NATO allies have pledged billions of dollars in military aid, as the conflict nears the one-year mark. On Friday, the US and NATO countries announced that huge shipments of heavy weapons would be sent to Ukraine, including air defences and armored vehicles. The US said it alone would committ 500 Bradley Figthing Vehicles, as Ukraine remains locked in heavy fighting in its eastern regions. But Kiev didn't get everything it wanted. Friday's NATO meeting ended without guarantees that Germany would give permission to send its Leopard 2 tanks. But on Sunday, Germany's foreign minister said her government would not stand in the way of Poland's desire to send the Leopard 2s to Ukraine. Pressure is mounting on Berlin to deliver the tanks to Ukraine, with Poland's prime minister suggesting he could send them without German approval. Meanwhile, the speaker of Russia's parliament warned that countries supplying Ukraine with more lethal weapons would force Moscow to retaliate. Guests: William Courtney Former US Ambassador Muhammet Kocak Foreign Policy Analyst