Summary

  • Berlin has not decided whether it will allow German-made tanks to be sent to Ukraine

  • A major meeting of Western allies to arrange support for Ukraine is taking place in Germany

  • But at a news conference, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin says Germany has not made a decision yet

  • Germany needs to approve the export of its tanks, even if they are owned by other countries

  • Poland's foreign minister is "shocked" by Germany's apparent reluctance to allow the export

  • Germany's new defence minister Boris Pistorius says Berlin is not unilaterally preventing the delivery

  • Russia has warned Western countries that providing tanks would mark an "extremely dangerous" escalation

Live Reporting

Edited by Chris Giles

  1. Give us tanks, says Zelensky

    James FitzGerald
    BBC News

    Ukrainian President Volodymr ZelenskyEPA

    Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky made a direct appeal to Germany to provide tanks ahead of crunch talks involving dozens of Western allies today.

    The US and European nations have already promised Kyiv more equipment to fight Russia's invasion and Berlin is under growing pressure to allow its Leopard 2 tanks to be sent.

    "If you have Leopard [tanks], then give them to us," Zelensky told German public TV.

    "These leopards won't go through Russia. We're defending ourselves," he said, in remarks criticising the German government's hesitant attitude.

    Yuri Sak, an advisor to Ukraine's defence minister, says the country's allies have a simple choice.

    "Tanks for Ukraine are tanks for freedom," he told BBC's Newsnight programme. If these were not sent, other countries might one day "have to use them themselves" against Moscow, he warned.

    "This is not just about the Ukrainian territory. This is about the future of Europe," he said.

    Read the full story here.

  2. Welcome

    Good morning and welcome along to our live coverage as dozens of countries meet today to decide on supplying arms to Ukraine.

    More than 50 nations are due to meet at the US Ramstein Air Base in Germany's south-west later.

    Germany is coming under increasing pressure to allow its highly regarded Leopard tanks to be exported to Ukraine.

    European nations need Berlin's consent before they can offer Ukraine tanks made in Germany and Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky says his government is expecting "strong decisions".

    Stay with us we bring you the latest updates.