LONDON, January 20. /TASS/. On Thursday, Berlin received an official request from its ally to permit re-exports of German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine, UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace was quoted as saying by Sky News.

"My understanding is a formal request from a country has gone in today - I don't know any further details about who or what - and obviously that's the process that needs to be worked through," he said, without naming that country.

When asked about what kind of answer Germany should give, in his opinion, Wallace replied that he wants the Kiev government to have as many tanks as possible in 2023.

"There is no secret about that… If we are to get a message to the Kremlin that we are not giving up, that we are doubling down, tanks are part of that," the UK official added.

Sky News reported that the request could have been filed by Warsaw. Earlier, the Polish government said it was poised to obtain Germany’s approval for delivery of Leopard tanks to Ukraine within the shortest possible timeframe. Poland said it had decided to provide Ukraine with up to 14 tanks. The country’s government also aims to create an international coalition that would supply the Kiev government with heavy weaponry.

Western defense ministers will gather at the US Ramstein Base in Germany on January 20 to discuss further assistance to Kiev, primarily, the handover of Leopard tanks. The German delegation will be led by the country’s newly appointed Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.

Germany’s Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper said on Wednesday, citing its own sources, that the country’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz had said in a phone call with US President Joe Biden that Berlin would agree to authorize Leopard-2 tank supplies to Kiev only if Washington sent Abrams tanks to Ukraine. According to the paper, the US leader did not unequivocally confirm Washington’s plans to provide the tanks to Kiev during the call.