Germany agrees to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine, allies to follow
BERLIN: Germany said on Wednesday it would supply its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, overcoming misgivings about sending heavy weaponry that Kyiv sees as crucial to defeat Russia’s war but Moscow casts as a dangerous provocation.
Pressure has been building for weeks on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government to send the tanks and allow Nato allies to do the same before expected spring offensives by both sides.
Scholz’s government had stalled, wary of moves that could prompt Russia to escalate the war or draw Nato into becoming a party to the conflict.
Germany’s decision paves the way for other countries such as Poland, Spain, Finland, the Netherlands and Norway to supply some of their Leopard tanks to Ukraine, going some way towards delivering the hundreds of tanks that Ukraine says it needs.
“Germany will always be at the forefront when it comes to supporting Ukraine,” Scholz told German parliament to applause. “...because there really is a war in Europe - not far from here in Berlin it is taking place against a big country like Ukraine.”
Germany must do everything possible “but at the same time we must prevent the war from escalating into a war between Russia and Nato,” he said.
Hoping to allay concerns about sending the weapons, Scholz asked Germans to trust his government to ensure there was no increased risk to their country and to coordinate steps with allies.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy thanked Scholz for Germany’s “important and timely decisions”, saying they were a “green light for partners to supply similar weapons”. Germany aims to quickly establish two battalions with Leopard 2 tanks for Ukraine and initially provide 14 Leopard 2 tanks from its own inventory.
A battalion normally comprises three or four companies with around 14 tanks each. Poland has also pledged 14 tanks and Britain has promised 14 of its own Challengers. —