Poland’s Andrzej Duda and Germany’s Olaf Scholz spoke in the Swiss Alpine town on Wednesday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Marcin Przydacz, Polish president’s top foreign policy aide, told reporters that the conversation focused on energy security.
Przydacz said that the two leaders "talked about how to respond to attempts by Russia to further destabilise the situation on the energy markets.”
He added that Poland was seeking to diversify its sources of energy supply, while Germany was "taking such steps as well.”
'We want to build a coalition to supply Leopard tanks to Ukraine'
Przydacz said that the conversation between Duda and Scholz "did not concern" the delivery of German-made Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine.
He told reporters in Davos: “Our stance is clear - we want to build a coalition to supply Leopard tanks to Ukraine. The president has said it many times and the German side is aware of this.”
Przydacz added: “According to our information, more and more countries are joining this process, which was initiated by Poland and then Britain.”
He urged Germany to "join this coalition and start transferring Leopard tanks to Ukraine because the expected Russian offensive will take place sooner rather than later.”
Przydacz’s words came as the German chancellor avoided committing to the supply of Leopard tanks to Ukraine at the Davos summit, according to news reports.
Przydacz commented: “Poland expects, as the president has repeatedly said, that countries will commit to supplying tanks to Ukraine, also Western European countries, especially those that for years had engaged in dialogue with Russia.”
He told reporters: “According to many experts, Vladimir Putin used economic cooperation, among other factors, to build his confidence, and to build the economic and military conditions for a future attack.”
Poland pledges Leopard tanks for Ukraine
Last Wednesday, Duda promised Poland would send a company of German-made Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine.
Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told reporters on Monday that "for Poland to be able to re-export Leopard tanks to Ukraine, Germany, as the producer, must give its consent."
He added: “I can’t imagine Germany not giving its consent as soon as possible.”
Last Friday, a Polish presidential aide, Paweł Szrot, said that Denmark and Finland were also ready to transfer Leopard tanks to Ukraine as part of an international coalition, the PAP news agency reported.
Meanwhile, Canada said on Wednesday it would donate 200 Senator armoured personnel carriers to help Ukraine defend itself against the Russian invasion.
Earlier this month, Britain pledged Challenger heavy tanks and the United States promised to send Bradley armoured fighting vehicles, while France offered its AMX-10 RC armoured fighting vehicles, according to news outlets.
The 2023 World Economic Forum, attended by decision makers including the Polish prime minister and his deputy Jacek Sasin, runs until Friday.
Thursday is day 330 of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, polskieradio24.pl