British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the delivery of the main battle tanks to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a conversation on Saturday, according to the BBC report. “The Prime Minister outlined Britain’s intention to step up our support for Ukraine,” a source in London’s Downing Street said.
This intention also includes the provision of Challenger 2 tanks and additional artillery systems. Sunak and Zelenskyi also welcomed similar announcements, including Poland’s offer to provide German-made Leopard main battle tanks to a company – up to 14 according to media reports. Finland is considering something similar.
Decisive for reconquest of occupied territories
Great Britain initially wants to deliver four Challenger units, later another eight, according to Ukrainian media reports. The BBC reported up to 24 pieces on Saturday. Modern tanks and artillery systems are considered crucial for Ukraine to recapture the areas occupied by Russian troops.
So far, it has only received models from ex-Soviet or Russian production from the stocks of Eastern European NATO countries – mostly in the form of a ring exchange: the countries gave up older models and received more modern western designs in return. The Challenger 2 was first delivered in the 1990s. The tank weighs over 62 tons, the engine power is over 1,200 hp, the main weapon is a 120 mm gun.
So far no Leopard 2 tanks from Germany
For months, Ukraine has also been demanding the delivery of the German-made Leopard 2, the A4 version of which is also used by the Austrian Armed Forces. The tank is technically superior to Russian models.
The government in Berlin has so far refused. The fear that NATO could be drawn into the war in Ukraine is also behind this, it was often said. According to estimates, Russian units currently occupy around 18 percent of Ukrainian territory.
“Decisive” when others follow suit
The BBC called the recent announcement from London “crucial” on Saturday, but only if other “allies” followed suit. The advance was consequently also interpreted as a signal to Berlin in particular. Germany has so far supplied Gepard anti-aircraft vehicles, 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles are to follow, and delivery of the Leopard 2 is still the subject of domestic political debates. Berlin also supplied artillery, radar and anti-aircraft systems, and ammunition.
Berlin brakes
Despite the pressure from his “traffic light coalition” of SPD, FPD and Greens, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz does not want to be pushed into the Leopard 2 issue, as he emphasized again on Friday. He criticized “excited statements” in the debate and called for more prudence.
The “necessity to have to say something every ten minutes” should not lead to decisions “related to war and peace” being “simply shaken out of the hand,” said Scholz in Berlin. In questions of further support for Kyiv, Germany will “always act in close coordination with our friends and allies,” he emphasized. The majority of Germans are critical of the tank deliveries.
