Germany, Poland to lead new armored coalition for Ukraine
Germany and Poland have agreed to create a coalition that will supply armored vehicles to the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
The coalition, which will officially launch on March 26, was revealed by Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
The countries will lead partner nations in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) in coordinating support for Ukraine’s military capabilities. Italy, Sweden, and the UK are the first confirmed members of the group.
The initiative comes almost two months after the establishment of the UDCG’s drone coalition, a Latvia-led group formed to bolster Ukraine’s unmanned assets.
The UDCG Coalitions
Aside from the armored and drone coalitions, six established groups have been formed within the UDCG in an effort to organize long-term support for Kyiv.
The air force, artillery, maritime security, ground-based air defense, demining, and information technology coalitions all focus on specific aspects of Ukraine’s defenses, coordinating donations of military aid in monthly meetings.
Its most recent meeting, held at Ramstein Air Base in southwest Germany, saw Berlin pledge 10,000 rounds of artillery shells, 100 armored infantry vehicles, and transport equipment worth 500 million euros ($544 million).
The US also promised $300 million worth of air defense missiles, artillery rounds, and armor systems.
About 50 countries make up the alliance, including Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and Spain.
