Berlin.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is preparing the “Leo” decision: the partner countries could already train the Ukrainians.
The government’s decision to deliver Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine is apparently imminent. “I expect that a decision will be made shortly,” said Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) on Tuesday at a press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. He “expressly encouraged” the western partner countries to start training Ukrainian forces on their Leopard tanks. Stoltenberg also expressed confidence that there would soon be a solution to the tank issue.
On Tuesday, Warsaw officially submitted an application to the federal government for the export permit for the supply of Leopard tanks to Ukraine. This was announced by Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak. A shipment of Leopards made in Germany normally requires the approval of the federal government.
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However, Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki had previously announced that distress to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine in a “small coalition” even without formal permission.
Pirstorius also stated that an examination of the Bundeswehr’s tank inventory, which he had ordered, was “close to completion”. He emphasized that this is not just a count of military equipment. Rather, it is about the “compatibility of the tank types”, i.e. about the technical comparability. replenishment, maintenance and maintenance would have to be coordinated. In total, 14 EU countries have more than 2000 Leopard 2 tanks. The variants range from 2A4 to A7V.
The Bundeswehr has around 320 newer Leopard 2 models
NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg called for the rapid delivery of new weapons to Ukraine. “At this crucial moment in the war, we must Ukraine provide heavier and more advanced systems, and we need to do it faster,” said the Norwegian. “The only way to a lasting peace is to make it clear to Putin that he will not win on the battlefield.”
The Bundeswehr has around 320 newer Leopard 2 models. Around 220 are ready for use, around 100 are being checked, they say. The for so-called ring exchanges According to the Düsseldorf armaments company Rheinmetall, the 29 Leopard battle tanks planned for cooperation with Slovakia and the Czech Republic will be fully repaired in the spring.
Moscow warned of a further deterioration in German-Russian relations
The federal government has some of the military aid to Ukraine in its hands defensive fight organized against Russia as an exchange with eastern NATO partners. These hand over weapons of Soviet design to the Ukraine and receive more modern replacements from Germany.
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22 more Leopard tanks from the stock of Rheinmetall could, however, only be delivered at the end of 2023/beginning of 2024, it said. The company could make 88 vehicles of the Leopard 1 available. A total of 139 Leopard tanks are involved.
Moscow warned of another deterioration of German-Russian relations, the federal government should have Leopard main battle tanks sent to Ukraine. “Such deliveries do not bode well for the future of relations,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
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