Germany’s government named Boris Pistorius as defence minister on Tuesday at a time of mounting pressure on Berlin from Western allies to allow Ukraine to use German-made tanks in the war with Russia.
Following several missteps, Christine Lambrecht resigned as defence minister on Monday, ahead of a conference on Friday at the U.S. military base in Ramstein on Western plans to provide Kyiv with more arms.
Until now, Germany has been cautious about approving the despatch of heavy Leopard tanks due to worries that such a move could be seen as an escalation of the war. Other countries with such tanks also need Berlin’s approval before they can be passed on to another country.
Germany; Boris Pistorius tapped as Minister of Defense