Germany’s decision to send advanced armored tanks to Ukraine has fueled Ukraine’s anger EU and NATO ally Viktor Orban. From Washington to Berlin to Kiev, a Western decision to send battle tanks Ukraine was enthusiastically received. Moscow shrugged it off at first — and later launched another barrage of attacks.
But in an interview with the Hungarian State Radio, the Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban said Germany’s decision to send 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks to Germany Ukraine symbolized the increasing role Western nations are playing in the war, now in its 12th month.
The Hungarian leader said on Friday that Hungary is getting involved in the war Ukraine “As long as I am prime minister, it is out of the question”, but he thinks it is too late for other countries in Europe.
He said: “The others are not only in danger, they have already been wiped out.
“If you send weapons, if you fund the entire annual budget of one of the belligerents, if you promise more and more weapons, more and more modern weapons, then you can say whatever you want. Whatever you say, you are at war. “
Mr Orban, who has refused to send arms to neighboring countries Ukraine and has thwarted some attempts by the European Union to provide aid packages to Kiev, has consistently argued against EU sanctions against Moscow and depicted countries offering aid Ukraine as being “on the side of the war”.
His right-wing populist government maintains increasingly close economic and diplomatic ties with Russia signed major agreements over the last decade on the purchase of Russian gas, oil and fissile material.
He also threatened to veto any EU sanctions that would affect access to Russian energy.
The Kremlin previously warned that Western tank deliveries would mean a dangerous escalation of the conflict Ukraineand it has vigorously denounced the turning point move by Germany and the United States to send heavy weapons to its enemy.
While other weapons such as tanks and certain air defense systems have received warnings from Russian officials, the wording has been intentionally vague, perhaps to allow the Kremlin to avoid being cornered by making specific threats.
Poland, the Czech Republic and other NATO countries have already delivered Ukraine with hundreds of smaller Soviet-made tanks from the Cold War era when they were part of the Soviet bloc. Ukrainian armed forces, which have used similar obsolete weapons, did not require additional training to use them. They played an important role on the battlefield and helped Ukraine retake large swaths of territory in 11 months of fighting.
As UkraineAs Kiev’s armored units suffered wear and tear and stocks of the old T-72 tanks ran dry in the arsenals of its allies in Central and Eastern Europe, Kiev has increasingly pushed for the supply of American M1 Abrams tanks.
After weeks of hesitation, Germany said it would provide on Wednesday Ukraine with 14 Leopard 2 tanks and allow other allies willing to follow suit to deliver 88 Leopards to form two tank battalions. The US announced that it would send 31 M1 Abrams tanks.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his officials, who have long said the country needs hundreds of tanks to face an enemy with a much larger number and different weapons, hailed the Western decision as a major breakthrough and expressed hope expected more supplies to follow.
Ukrainian military expert Oleh Zhdanov told The Associated Press: “Leopard 2 deliveries will take our ground forces to a qualitatively new level.”
Although Leopard 2s are heavier than Soviet designed tanks, they have a strong edge in terms of firepower and survivability.
Mr. Zhdanov said: “One Leopard 2 could be equivalent to three or five Russian tanks.”
But he noted that the promised number of Western tanks represents only the minimum Ukraine must repel a probable Moscow offensive, adding Russia has thousands of armored vehicles.
He added: “Kiev is preparing for a defensive operation and its outcome will determine the future course of the conflict.”