BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - The German government should not obstruct Poland's planned delivery of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, in the view of Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens). "And accordingly, Germany should not stand in the way when other countries make decisions to support Ukraine, regardless of what decision Germany makes," Habeck said Thursday at the closed-door meeting of the executive committee of the Green parliamentary group in Berlin.

The previous day, Poland's President Andrzej Duda said after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj in Lviv that his country had already made a decision to provide the Ukrainians with Leopard battle tanks for one company as part of a coalition with allied countries. According to a Polish military expert, the term company includes 14 main battle tanks.

Germany plays a key role in the debate because the Leopard 2 tanks were developed in Germany. As a rule, the transfer of German-made armaments to third parties must be approved.

"We make our decisions in alliance with other partners and countries," Habeck said. Parliamentary group leader Britta Haßelmann said the decision to supply Marder tanks and the Patriot air defense system from Germany was "a very important signal." "And we must not let up in our commitment and in the question - and every day - can we do even more together with allies than what we have now agreed on last week?" That includes thinking about what further weapons Ukraine needs, he said. It also involves possible humanitarian assistance, he said. "And that's where we need to keep the pressure, together in the alliance."/hrz/DP/jha