Latvian President Egils Levits called on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to approve delivery of Germany's highly regarded Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine in an interview with German radio on Monday.
"Everything necessary must be done so that Ukraine can defend itself," Levits told public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk. This was necessary for Europe's security as a whole, he said, adding that this was the "almost unanimous attitude of Europe."
"If one country does not cooperate, that is of course a problem," Levits said.
Levits said he could not understand why Scholz could possibly be taking into account widespread German doubts about providing its tanks. Ukraine was under severe pressure and should not be denied the tanks, he said.
While Levits' role is largely ceremonial, his responsibilities include being commander-in-chief of the Latvian armed forces.
