LONDON (dpa-AFX) - British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has spoken out in favor of supplying German-made Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine. "I would like nothing better than to see the Ukrainians equipped with Leopard 2s," Cleverly told the BBC on Sunday. "I would like nothing better than to see Ukraine equipped with the most modern armored vehicles, both tanks and artillery. The Leopard 2 is an incredibly effective piece of military equipment," the conservative politician stressed.

Cleverly dodged the question of whether he was disappointed with Germany. He said he had many discussions with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Defense Minister Ben Wallace about the British position. "The prime minister has quite rightly decided that the most humane thing to do is to bring this war to a quick end and for the Ukrainians to succeed in defending their homeland," Cleverly said. That's why the U.K. has once again increased its military support and will supply Challenger 2 main battle tanks, he said. In the past, Cleverly had repeatedly praised Germany's commitment to Ukraine./bvi/DP/jha