German Minister of Defense Christine Lambrecht during a meeting at Ramstein Air Base on April 26. Photo: Boris Roessler/picture alliance via Getty Images
Germany's minister of defense, Christine Lambrecht, said Tuesday her country will deliver an unspecified number of anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine.
Why it matters: The announcement comes amid mounting pressure on the German government to increase military aid to Ukraine in response to Russia's unprovoked invasion.
- Germany said in February it would send anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons to Ukraine, reversing a restrictive export policy that prevented it from shipping arms to active conflict zones.
- Lambrecht announced the new shipment of the German-made Flakpanzer Gepard during a meeting with more than 30 defense officials from dozens of NATO and non-NATO countries at Ramstein Air Base.
The big picture: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday accused NATO of engaging in a proxy war with Russia through Ukraine and said the threat of a nuclear conflict "should not be underestimated."
Go deeper ... Austin: U.S. would like Russian military "weakened"