Newsman: After months of intense pressure from allies, Germany has agreed to allow its state-of-the-art Leopard 2 tanks to be donated to Ukraine.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced Wednesday that his country would provide 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks for Ukraine’s military.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, speaking to parliament Wednesday, defended the length of time it took to reach the decision.
“Ladies and gentleman, that is the right principle. We are dealing with very effective weapons systems, and it is the right thing for us to never provide these weapons systems on their own, but always in close cooperation,” Scholz said.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said at a Cabinet meeting in Berlin,
“This decision follows our well-known line of supporting Ukraine to the best of our ability,” adding that the decision had been coordinated with international partners.
German Chancellor Scholz had consistently refused to give the go-ahead for his country or others to export Leopard tanks to Ukraine, saying Western tanks should only be supplied to Kyiv if there is agreement among key allies, particularly the United States.
U.S. officials had been pressing Germany to send Leopard tanks but previously said the Biden administration was not sending the American-made tanks because of challenges with training and maintenance.
German Chancellor said other European partners would also be handing over Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. He didn’t say how many. In addition to training, Germany’s package of support will include logistics, ammunition and system maintenance, he said.
The Biden administration plans to send more than 30 of its frontline battle tanks M1 Abrams to Ukraine to bolster Ukrainian forces battling Russia. According to report by ABC news, It will take a year at least for M1 Abrams to be presence in Ukrainian soil. The White House is expected to officially announce its plans for the tanks today as President Joe Biden is scheduled to make an announcement at noon today at the White House.
Germany will initially send a company of 14 tanks, and Ukrainian crews will soon begin training on them in Germany, said Steffen Hebestreit, a spokesman for Scholz. Germany will also authorize other countries that have their own stocks of Leopard 2 tanks to export them to Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has long-asked for the tanks, welcomed the decision. He wrote on Telegram that Germany’s donation of the tanks pave the way for Ukraine’s western partners to supply similar weapons. “I am sincerely grateful to Olaf Scholz and all our friends in Germany,” he wrote.
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Among the countries willing to export their stockpiles of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine are Finland and Poland, which Tuesday officially requested that the German government issue an export license for its battle tanks.
German weapons companies manufacture the Leopard 2, and the German government legally has the final say over how and where the tanks are used, even when other countries offer to export them.
The Ukrainians operate Russian and Soviet-era tanks. Western tanks would provide them with vehicles that have more firepower, mobility and armor.
The Abrams is lethal, fast and heavily armored. Weighing about 70 tons, the Abrams has a 120 mm cannon and .50-caliber machine gun. The Abrams was developed during the Cold War and the first tanks delivered to the Army in 1980. They saw combat in 1991 for the first time during Operation Desert Storm in Iraq.
The Leopard 2, Germany’s main battle tank, is known for its range, mobility and precision. It can travel more than 300 miles and has a top speed of 42mph.
The Pentagon has resisted sending the tanks, citing the heavy maintenance it requires as well as its need for jet fuel for its engine. Germany’s Leopard tank, which several European allies use, runs on easier-to-source diesel fuel.
The Biden administration has already sent Ukraine $27 billion in military aid since Russia’s invasion in Feb. 2022. The arms sent have grown increasingly sophisticated and lethal. The tanks and armored personnel carriers now being given to Ukraine are the same ones operated by the U.S. Army’s frontline soldiers.
