(new: details)

BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - After a long hesitation, Germany is supplying Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine. Other countries will also be allowed to give such tanks to Kiev. The Deutsche Presse-Agentur learned this from coalition circles in Berlin on Tuesday. Previously, "Spiegel" and ntv had reported about it. According to "Spiegel," the plan is to equip at least one company with the Leopard 2A6 version from Bundeswehr stocks. Equipping one company means handing over 14 of the weapon systems.

Ukraine has been asking for Western-designed main battle tanks to fight Russian aggressors for months. The first official request came just a week after the war began in early March last year.

The front line in eastern Ukraine has barely moved for weeks. With the battle tanks, Ukraine hopes to get back on the offensive and recapture more terrain. At the same time, Russia is feared to launch an offensive in the spring.

Warsaw had earlier on Tuesday submitted an official export application to the German government requesting approval for the delivery of the German-made Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine - putting Berlin under concrete pressure to act.

The chairwoman of the defense committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), summed up: "The decision was tough, it took far too long, but in the end it is inevitable. The fact that Germany is releasing the delivery of its Leopard 2 tank by partner countries and also delivering it itself is redemptive news for the battered and brave Ukrainian people." The decision represents an important step in pushing back Russia's brutal attack on an innocent country, she told dpa in Berlin on Tuesday.

Union faction leader Friedrich Merz welcomed the decision, but at the same time accused Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) of hesitancy. "So the image remains of a driven man who has hesitated too long."

As a production country, Germany plays a key role in the issue surrounding the Leopard delivery. When military equipment is sold to other countries, so-called end-use clauses are always built into the contracts. These stipulate that the German government must approve any transfer to third countries. A government spokesman had said on Tuesday, the request of the Polish government "with due urgency" want to examine.

Scholz has been criticized for weeks on the issue of Leopard deliveries - he is accused of being too hesitant. There was also displeasure within his own coalition. The government justified its action among other things with the risk of escalation and the necessary international coordination.

Poland has been putting pressure on Germany for some time in the discussion about the delivery of battle tanks. On Monday, head of government Mateusz Morawiecki said that, if necessary, action would be taken without Berlin's approval, which would have risked a diplomatic éclat.

Poland wants to form a European coalition to supply battle tanks. Initially, only Great Britain had agreed to supply Challenger 2 battle tanks. Of the 14 European countries that have Leopard tanks, only Finland, in addition to Poland, has so far publicly signaled its willingness to give up some examples.

Germany has been supplying weapons to Ukraine since the beginning of the war. Since then, it has handed over heavy artillery pieces and air defense systems, among other things. It has also already promised Marder infantry fighting vehicles, which are significantly less powerful than the Leopard 2./toz/DP/nas