Germany has not yet decided whether to send the tanks to Ukraine or allow other countries to donate.

There's despite pressure on Berlin to act while President Zelensky says his country urgently needs modern weapons to push back the Russian invasion.

Yes, we will still have to fight for the supply of modern tanks.

But every day we make it more obvious that there is no alternative that a decision about tanks must be made.

Germany's new Defense minister has denied blocking the use of its leopard tanks.

In Ukraine.

He said that such a decision had to be carefully considered.

Russia has warned that providing tanks would mark an extremely dangerous escalation.

However, Ukraine's allies have agreed at a meeting at Ramstein Air base in Germany to supply more armored vehicles at defense systems and ammunition are europe correspondent, Jessica Parker has the details.

This is what Kiev wants but can't yet have german made leopard tanks to help defend and reclaim its territory from Russia Britain's gone first in sending western main battle tanks, but it's a fraction of what's being asked for.

Hundreds of not hundreds.

All of us can use thousands of wars in discussions, but I cannot put words instead of guns that are needed against Russian artillery.

Defense chiefs have pledged fresh support but Berlin is still resisting pressure to release its leopard two's.

It gets to decide where german made tanks can go, even those bought by other countries.

Minister why is Berlin so hesitant on this issue.

We're not really hesitating.

We are just very carefully in balance and all the proof and contrast, we are not talking just about delivering anything to anybody.

This is a new kind of measure.

These crowds in Berlin want Germany to do more, but the government has its eye on broader public opinion.

The country's World War II history still casts a long shadow.

While there are fears of escalation, they've not made a decision on the provision of leopard tanks.

What we're really focused on is making sure that Ukraine has a capability that it needs to be successful.

Right now.

The NATO military alliance is pressing a sense of urgency.

There is a need for support to Ukraine to enable them, not only to survive, but actually to retake territory to win this war.

But there's a lot of talk of course about a Russian spring offensive.

But do you think Ukraine can take back territory this year?

Absolutely.

And that's the reason why NATO allies, our partners are providing significantly more support to Ukraine, a soviet era tank.

In a war of today, frontline Ukrainian units are hungry for more modern weapons to help unfreeze this conflict, Jessica Parker.

BBC news in Ramstein.

Well earlier we spoke to yuri sack who is an adviser to Ukraine's defense Minister and he shared with us his views on yesterday's meeting Of those Western allies in Ramstein.

This was the ranch time meeting # eight.

And you know, it has followed the same logic as the previous ones.

More military assistance was pledged to Ukraine.

More countries have said again that they will stand with Ukraine for as long as necessary.

All NATO countries support Ukraine.

And essentially what we need to do now is to redefine what it means to stand with Ukraine because for us, defending at this stage of this warfare does not mean just stabilizing the front line and actually we are very grateful to our allies for the military support that we have received so far because thanks to that support, we were able to stabilize the front line.

We were able to stop the enemy from advancing and we were able to even drive the enemy out of certain areas.

But of course right now for us to be able to defend our land, means to be able to de occupy our land to liberate our territories and for this, we need heavy tanks for this, we need armored vehicles and from this perspective, today's Ramstein was very successful and this is something that our Minister of Defense Mr Alexey Reznikoff said today, but at the same time it could have been even more successful because look, this was Ramstein number eight, but at the same time, for example, Ukraine has been already target of 12 massive missile attacks.

So we need to be as a coalition of free nations, we need to be one or couple of steps ahead of our enemy, not behind our enemy.

The german defense minister has said that he won't stand in the way Germany won't stand in the way if the allies are acting as one does that, then now mean that it's it's in NATO's NATO members, the ball is in their court is over to them.

What are you saying to them?

How likely is it that they will act unified on this?

We are confident and we have no doubt that the decision to start providing Ukraine with heavy tanks will be made actually it in a way has already been made because the United Kingdom has shown leadership and was the first country to actually overcome this mental hurdle and start providing Ukraine with tanks or we are very grateful to the United Kingdom for the Challenger two tanks that hopefully will arrive on our battlefield soon.

Now, at the same time, of course it is, we know that there are more than 2000, for example, leo tanks in europe and we have said it, but Before that there is no rational explanation why Ukraine who is now, which is now fighting for the freedom of Europe, why we're not getting a fraction of that because you know that our military command has said in the past, we need 300 tanks.

This is a fraction of what the NATO allies and European countries actually are in a position to provide Ukraine.

So as our President Zelensky said Ukraine will continue to push for this political decision and we are very hopeful that this will be taken in time for our next stages of the military counter offensive.

Okay, and what do you make then, also of the german argument that the U.

S.

Should be providing their Abrams tank to Ukraine and that would help to facilitate the matter for yourselves.

Abrams tanks are also something that we have been asking for, but we understand that there are some concerns in the US as with regard to the maintenance issues of these tanks.

Um actually, I have to say that today, another important decision was made that some european countries will already begin training Ukrainian servicemen, Ukrainian tank pilots to use to operate Leo part two tanks.

So the first step is already being taken.

So whether the US will decide to change their opinion and start providing crane with Abrams tanks, we'll have to see one thing we are confident is that the Ukrainian servicemen learn very fast.

We have shown this in the past and you know, when it comes to, for example, issues like fuel consumption because this was one of the issues Abrams are apparently as they've been done gas guzzlers, but at the same time, look, it's fuel versus blood is the fuel that needs to be put into those tanks against the blood, that Ukrainian Ukrainian people are paying for this war of freedom every day.

So for us, it's a very simple decision.

We hope that allies will make that decision in favor of providing Ukraine tax soon, because this war must not be allowed to become a protracted war.