The agreement within the consultative body regarding the support of Germany's main battle tank, the Leopard 2, to Ukraine has failed.
On the 20th (local time), at the 'Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG)' meeting held at the Ramstein U.S. Air Force Base in Germany, chaired by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, no consensus was reached on supporting the Leopard 2 tanks despite discussions among defense ministers and officials from over 50 countries. Launched in April last year, the UDCG is a temporary consultative body where defense ministers or officials from over 50 countries gather to discuss coordinated support measures for Ukraine. Officials from the Ministry of National Defense of our country also participated via video conference. After the meeting, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated at a press conference, "Although Germany has not approved the supply of its main battle tank, the Leopard 2, to Ukraine, it will continue to demonstrate leadership as a reliable ally."
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said, "There was no consensus among participating countries on the supply of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine," adding, "All pros and cons must be carefully reviewed."
While German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hesitates to directly supply Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, other NATO and European Union (EU) countries such as the United Kingdom, Poland, the Czech Republic, and the three Baltic states have continued to pressure Germany. Since the Leopard 2 tanks are German-made, Germany's approval is required each time they are supplied to Ukraine.
Secretary Austin introduced a new support package worth $2.5 billion (approximately 3 trillion KRW), emphasizing that the U.S. will continue to play a leading role in supporting Ukraine. This U.S. support package includes hundreds of combat vehicles such as 90 Stryker armored vehicles, 59 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs), 53 Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, and 350 Humvees (HMMWVs). He also mentioned support from Poland, Germany, Canada, and France, stating that other countries, including the EU, must share responsibility.
The meeting was attended both online and offline by defense ministers and officials from over 50 countries, including German Defense Minister Pistorius. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky participated via video conference, stating, "The war allows no further delay," and "Time must also become our weapon."
He added, "It will be decided whether we live in a world of hatred promoted by Russia or in a peaceful world," and "Russia must be defeated in this war."
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