After weeks of diplomatic pressure, Germany has agreed to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine as the war with Russia approaches its one-year anniversary in February.
The German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, confirmed this on Wednesday, marking a watershed moment in the West’s support for Kyiv after weeks of intense pressure on Berlin from some NATO allies.
According to CNN, Scholz informed his Cabinet of Germany’s decision to strengthen its military support for Ukraine.
Steffen Hebestreit, a spokesperson for the German government, commented on this. “The Federal Government has decided to provide the Ukrainian armed forces with Leopard 2 battle tanks,” he said.
“This is the result of extensive consultations with Germany’s closest European and international partners. This decision follows our well-known policy of assisting Ukraine to the best of our ability.”
According to sources, the US is also finalizing plans to send approximately 30 US-made Abrams tanks to Ukraine.
According to the statement, the goal is to assemble two tank battalions of Leopard 2 tanks for Ukraine.
In the first step, Berlin will provide a company of 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks from Bundeswehr stocks, with training for Ukrainian crews beginning soon in Germany. In addition to training, the package will include logistics, ammunition, and system maintenance.
The Leopard tanks could be operational in Ukraine in three months, according to Germany’s defense minister. Boris Pistorius told reporters on Wednesday that training would come first, and then the tanks would be sent east.
CNN reports that the German army has 320 Leopard 2 tanks but does not specify how many are battle ready.
It will also allow other countries to export the battle tank, according to the statement. Poland formally requested permission from Germany on Tuesday to transfer some of its German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
Several European countries own Leopards as well, and Poland has led an effort to re-export them to Ukraine even if Germany is not on board.
