While Poland has provided 250 tanks to Ukraine, Germany’s promise to send tanks to replace them “does not meet Polish expectations,” said Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak in an interview with the Polska Times newspaper.
“I openly told my German counterpart Christina Lambrecht that we are interested in at least one tank battalion, which per the Western European standard is 44 machines. We were offered 20 tanks, and the first of them would arrive next year; this offer does not meet our expectations and is not very useful,” Błaszczak said.
He added that he therefore answered Lambrecht in writing that Poland was hoping to receive a full tank battalion.
Błaszczak pointed out that if Germany only sent 20 machines, it would not change the current situation. “But we are not waiting for Germany, instead we have begun intensive efforts,” said Błaszczak.
He stated that first U.S. Abrams tanks, an older version, will arrive in Poland next year. Additionally, he added, modern Korean K2 tanks will be supplied to the Polish army this year.
Błaszczak is also of the opinion that German politics is dangerous to Europe and allows Putin to fund his army. “Germany’s policy is based on doing business with Russia and surely does not guarantee our safety,” he said.
The Polish defense minister sees the German policy as disappointing, “but it is not like that since yesterday, or when Olaf Scholz became chancellor. It was also disappointing during Angela Merkel’s time,” he stated.
Błaszczak said that the Polish opposition has tried to secure their position by getting close to Germany, a policy that has not helped protect the nation.
“German politics is focused on doing business with Russia,” said Błaszczak, adding that the only guarantees of Poland’s safety are its relations with the United States and NATO and increasing the potential of the Polish Armed Forces.
