US, Germany agree to send tanks to Ukraine
MOVE PAVES WAY FOR OTHER COUNTRIES TO FOLLOW SUIT
The United States announced yesterday that it will provide heavy tanks to help Ukraine repel Russia’s invasion, mirroring a similar move by Germany in the face of dire warnings from Moscow.
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.
After months of intense lobbying for the military equipment, news of the tanks’ supply comes as a major relief for Kyiv — particularly as Russia reports advances in Bakhmut, an eastern Ukrainian town the invading forces have been trying to capture for months.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked his German counterpart Olaf Scholz for the “important and timely” decision to allow the long-sought delivery of its powerful Leopard 2s. Germany will give 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks from its Bundeswehr supplies, Scholz told the German parliament.
US pledge
Hours later, President Joe Biden delivered an address from the White House to announce the United States will also be providing 31 M1 Abrams tanks.
He said that the delivery of the tanks and other largescale military aid is to help Ukraine defend itself, but poses no “offensive” threat to Russia.
“That’s what this is about: helping Ukraine defend and protect Ukrainian land. It is not an offensive threat to Russia,” he said.
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg “strongly” welcomed the decision by Germany — which reportedly sought a US commitment of tanks before giving its own green light — saying it would help Kyiv defeat Russia’s forces.
That’s what this is about: helping Ukraine defend and protect Ukrainian land. It is not an offensive threat to Russia.”
Joe Biden | US President
‘Blatant provocation’
The twin announcements come despite dire warnings from Moscow, with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, warning a US approval for Abrams deliveries would be “another blatant provocation against the Russian Federation.”
Moscow’s ambassador to Germany, Sergei Nechaev, likewise warned that the “extremely dangerous decision takes the conflict to a new level of confrontation, and contradicts statements by German politicians about the unwillingness of the German Federation to get involved in it.”
Germany has agreed to send its Leopard 2 tank to Ukraine and allowed other countries using the German-built tank to re-export them, responding to months of pleading from Kyiv for extra firepower to break through Russian defensive lines.
Kyiv has been pushing for the Leopard 2 tank in particular because it has several advantages over the alternatives, such as Britain’s Challenger 2 and the US M1 Abrams tanks.
Why does Ukraine want the Leopard 2?
One advantage of the Leopard 2 tank is that, as well as being one of the best tanks in the West’s arsenal, it is also one of the most widely used.
With some 20 nations operating the Leopard 2, several nations could each chip in a small portion of their tanks to support Ukraine. Operating a large number of one model would make it easier for Ukraine to train crew and manage maintenance.
More than 3,500 Leopard 2 tanks have been built since production began in 1978.
The tank, produced jointly by German firms Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall, weighs more than 60 tonnes, has a 120 mm smooth bore gun and can hit targets at a distance of up to 5 km (3.1 miles).
Nations operating the Leopard include Canada, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.
How many Leopard 2 tanks are available?
Although the Leopard 2 tank is widely used, tanks and other heavy weapons are in scarce supply in most of the West because many countries drastically reduced the size of their militaries after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Germany has about 350 Leopard 2 tanks today, according to military expert Carl Schulze.
At the same time, it is all but impossible to buy a large amount of Leopard 2 tanks quickly.
Germany’s defence industry is banned by law from producing them for stock-keeping. Typically, countries ordering new tanks need to be prepared to wait two to three years for delivery.
What are the alternatives?
The United States operates thousands of M1 Abrams tanks built by General Dynamics and is poised to send dozens to Ukraine in a reversal of its previous policy, US officials say.
But the M1 Abrams are seen as unsuitable for Ukraine as they are driven by gas turbine engines with high fuel consumption that would create a challenge for Ukraine to keep them supplied even though they can also run on diesel.
The Leopard 2 runs on a more economical engine that burns diesel, which is also easier to obtain than kerosene.
The British government announced in January it would send a squadron, or 14, of its Challenger 2 battle tanks. However, unlike the Leopard 2, it is not widely used. France has said it was considering sending its Leclerc tank but French overseas missions restrict availability.