Should Canada send Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine? ‘Not there yet,’ says Trudeau – National | 24CA News

Canada isn’t but sending Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says, regardless of a report that the Ukrainian management intends to request them.

According to a report from The Globe and Mail on Monday, Ukraine intends to ask Canada for a few of its Leopard-2 foremost battle tanks — if Germany approves the re-export of the weaponry, which Chancellor Olaf Scholz is going through stress to do.

“We’ll look at all the requests from Ukraine but we’re not there yet, for the Leopard 2 tanks,” the prime minister mentioned, talking in French.

“But we’re here to provide Ukraine what it needs so they can beat Russia.”

The re-export of Leopards requires German authorities approval, since they manufacture the battle tank and have a key function within the restrictions round re-exporting it.

Because of this, different nations who’ve purchased the tanks can’t ship them to Ukraine with out Germany giving them the inexperienced mild.

Scholz has expressed issues that using NATO-standard heavy tanks within the warfare may escalate the battle — although he has mentioned that if there may be settlement amongst Kyiv’s foremost allies about re-exporting the tanks, he gained’t stand of their means.

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Mykhailo Podolyak, a prime adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, informed The Globe and Mail he was “optimistic” Germany will come round.

If it does, Poland and Finland have already indicated they are going to ship a few of their Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

Canada would seemingly face political stress at any such level to do the identical.

Meanwhile, the U.Okay. introduced plans on Saturday to ship 14 of its Challenger 2 foremost battle tanks, in addition to different superior artillery help, to Ukraine within the coming weeks. The transfer prompted a swift rebuttal from Russia, which warned the tanks will “burn.”

“They are using this country [Ukraine] as a tool to achieve their anti-Russian goals,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned when requested concerning the British tanks.

“These tanks are burning and will burn just like the rest,” Peskov mentioned.

Peskov mentioned the brand new provides from nations like Britain and Poland wouldn’t change the scenario on the bottom, however have been an try to attract out the battle which he mentioned would in the end convey “more troubles” on Ukraine.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February of final 12 months, and to date there is no such thing as a clear finish to the warfare in sight.

The brutality continues to ravage Ukrainian cities because the Kremlin now casts the warfare as an existential battle with an aggressive and boastful West — and has mentioned that Russia will use all accessible means to guard itself and its individuals in opposition to any enemy.

On Sunday, the Ukrainian metropolis of Dnipro confronted the deadliest civilian incident in Moscow’s three-month marketing campaign of hurling missiles at numerous cities. The dying toll from the Russian missile strike rose to 40 on Monday — and dozens stay lacking.

“The world must stop evil,” Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter within the wake of the assault.

“We’re fighting for every person, every life. We’ll find everyone involved in terror. Everyone will bear responsibility. Utmost.”

— with recordsdata from Reuters

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