Germany is under increasing pressure to determine whether to allow German-made tanks to be supplied to Ukraine.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is scheduled to visit Berlin on Tuesday. At 9.15 a.m. local time, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius will hold a press conference.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, stated Monday that the tank debate was in its “final stages” and was only “half a stride” away.

Ukraine has repeatedly requested Leopard 2 tanks from its partners in order to resist Russia’s escalating assault. However, Germany has been hesitant to send its own tanks or allow other countries to send its Leopard 2s, afraid that Russia will respond in kind.

Last Friday, Ukraine and its partners met in Germany for a defense summit, but no decision on tanks was reached. However, two German ministers hinted a warming of the country’s posture over the weekend, with Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock saying Berlin would not prevent Poland from sending its own Leopard 2s to Ukraine.
Russia is ‘opposed by nearly the entire collective West,’ according to an army general.
In his first interview since being selected to oversee Russia’s efforts in the war, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, commander of Russia’s armed forces in Ukraine, stated that Moscow is almost wholly opposed by the West.

Speaking to the government-owned Argumenty I Fakty news source, Gerasimov stated “modern Russia has never known such a degree and intensity of military activities. “Our country and its Armed Forces are now opposed by nearly the whole collective West,” according to NBC News’ translation of statements.

Gerasimov, who took over as commander of Russia’s invasion force in Ukraine in January after Gen. Sergei Surovikin stepped down, claimed that threats to Russia included “the North Atlantic Alliance [NATOaspirations ]’s to expand at the expense of Finland and Sweden, as well as the use of Ukraine as a tool for waging a hybrid war against our country.”

Finland and Sweden formerly followed nonalignment policies with the West, but both have asked to join NATO since Russia invaded Ukraine last February. Turkey has raised concerns about their membership bids, and talks about their potential membership in the alliance are still ongoing.

Russia claims that the West, particularly NATO, is launching a proxy war against it in Ukraine. NATO has stated that Russia must not be allowed to win the Ukrainian war because it threatens the sovereignty of Russia’s neighbors and could fuel Moscow’s expansionist ambitions.