Germany allows European allies to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine

Europe, News January 24, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

Germany has announced that it would not stop its European allies from sending German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine for its war efforts against Russia. Germany’s foreign minister Annalena Baerbock announced that it would not stand in way if Poland decides to send its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

Baerbock’s statement of approval came during an interview with a French television network. Upon being asked what would Germany do if Poland sent German-made tanks to Ukraine without Germany’s approval, Baerdock replied that “For the moment the question has not been asked, but if we were asked we would not stand in the way.”

Her remarks appeared to go further than German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s comments at a summit in Paris earlier this week where he said that all decisions on weapons deliveries would be made in coordination with allies including the United States.

Last week, Poland announced that it can deliver about 14 Leopards to Ukraine, however, Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said he needs “a clear statement” from Germany on whether countries that have the Leopard tanks can send them to Ukraine.

Following the indication of approval by Germany, Poland has formally requested permission from Germany to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine. Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said that “Germany has already received our request to approve the handover of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.”

Blaszczak posted on his Twitter that “I also appeal to the German side to join the coalition of countries supporting Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks. This is our common cause because it is about the security of the whole of Europe!”

Germany requires approval before a country can re-export the German-made Leopard 2 tanks. If Poland gets approval from Germany, it can provide at least 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv in an instant. There are around 2,000 Leopard tanks stocked across over a dozen European countries that can be sent to Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy repeated his long-standing request to attain tanks and heavy weapons again this week as he met with the former British prime minister Boris Johnson who was visiting Kyiv. “We need more weapons, tanks, aircraft, long-range missiles,” Zelenskiy said during the meeting.

Earlier this month, Kyiv’s top diplomatic envoy in Berlin said that his country needs German-made Leopard 2 tanks to fight Russia as soon as possible.

Germany has been under heavy pressure to let Leopard tanks go to Ukraine but Scholz’s Social Democrat party is traditionally skeptical of military involvements and wary of sudden moves that could cause Moscow to further escalate.

*^{Germany’s Leopard 2A7V tanks. (Image Credit: Bundeswehr/NATO)}*

Ukraine’s ambassador in Berlin, Oleksii Makeiev, urged the German government to provide his country with Leopard 2 battle tanks quickly. “We have very little time for discussions. And we expect our allies to understand that and act appropriately,” he said. However, German arms maker and manufacturer of the Leopard battle tanks, Rheinmetall, says that it would take until 2024 for its tanks to be refurbished and ready for export.

Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger said during an interview with a local newspaper, “Even if the decision is made tomorrow that we are allowed to send our Leopard tanks to Kyiv, delivering them will take until the beginning of next year.”

Moscow has also discouraged European countries from sending further aid to Ukraine. The Kremlin’s spokesman said that Western countries supplying additional tanks to Ukraine would not change the course of the conflict and would only add to the problems of the Ukrainian people.