• Germany denies that Berlin is taking a unilateral stance against the shipment of Leopard tanks.
• Germany still backs Ukraine and will support it “so long as it is necessary”.
• He said on his first day in office.

The recently appointed defense minister of Germany denied that Berlin is taking a unilateral stance against the shipment of Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

A day after taking office, Boris Pistorius informed reporters at the US Ramstein air base that there had been no decision made on the shipment of Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv.

“None of us can say today when there will be a decision for Leopard tanks and what the decision may look like,” he said.

But he added: “When a decision is made, in one week or two, or in one day, I want to be able to act quickly.

“That’s why this morning I told my ministry to make an inventory of the different types of Leopard tanks we have within our military, but also within the industry” – suggesting the sending of tanks has not been ruled out.

Pistorius reaffirmed that Germany still backs Ukraine.

“We will support Ukraine so long as it is necessary and the war is over,” he said.

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