European Union: Providing fighter jets to Ukraine would "probably" cross a border and put Berlin in direct conflict with Moscow, according to German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck.
He told a TV host on Tuesday, 'There is a difference between battle tanks and fighter jets.
Habek was a strong advocate of sending the German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv, and his wishes overruled those of the previous Defense Minister, Christine Lambrecht, who was replaced by Habek's own choice, Boris Pistorius.
Germany revealed last week that it would be sending 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv. Another 14 will come from Poland, while four to six will come from Spain and eight from Norway.
However, current allocations barely meet a third of Ukraine's demand for 300 new tanks, and the equipment is not expected to be delivered until autumn, despite a US commitment of 31 M1 Abrams tanks.
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According to the Russian ambassador to Germany, Sergei Nechaev, the gift of the Berlin Leopards was considered "highly dangerous" and "takes the conflict to a new level of confrontation".
An adviser to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky insisted on Wednesday that talks were already underway to provide its military with "attack aircraft" despite Berlin's reluctance to provide fighter jets to Kyiv.
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While the current British leadership joined Habach and US President Joe Biden in rejecting their ally's most recent demand, Britain's former prime minister Boris Johnson urged his former allies to hand over their fighter jets "as soon as possible". requested.