Ukraine will receive “at least 100 Leopard 1 A5 tanks (…) over the next few months,” the defense ministers of Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark announced in a joint statement on Tuesday, AFP reports.
These Leopard 1s are from stock and will be repaired. This statement was made in the context of the unexpected visit of German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to Kyiv.
In addition to the delivery of Leopard 1, Berlin, Copenhagen and The Hague promise to train the Ukrainian military to use these tanks, as well as provide spare parts and ammunition.
The three countries say their initiative is “open to other partners”. They mention Belgium, which has “expressed an interest in participating”.
This promise to deliver the Leopard 1 was made possible by Berlin’s agreement with German manufacturers to transfer to Ukraine the tanks they still have in stock.
A total of 178 Leopard tanks are potentially involved, but the number that can be delivered depends on the time required to restore them, as these tanks have been out of service for several years.
The first Leopard 2 tank has already been sent to Ukraine
Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand released a video of the first German Leopard 2 tank being loaded onto a plane to Ukraine on Sunday.
As such, this will be the first Leopard 2 tank of the four promised by Canada.
From 120 to 140 tanks in the “first wave” of deliveries
Earlier last week, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that his country would receive 120 to 140 Western tanks as part of the “first wave” of supplies from a coalition of 12 countries.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said that Germany and its European partners plan to send two battalions of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine “rapidly”, with around 80 vehicles expected, adding that Germany will provide a company of 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks “as a first step”.
Germany will also send the ancestor of the Leopard 2 tank to Ukraine
Norway plans to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine “as soon as possible,” with Norway’s defense minister suggesting deliveries could take place by the end of March, and according to Politico, it is considering sending eight of the 36 Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
Spain, which has one of the largest Leopard fleets in the EU with 347 tanks, intends to send four to six German-made Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine, according to El País, cited by Agerpres.
On January 11, Poland became the first partner country of Ukraine to announce plans to send Western-made German Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced on Friday that his country would send 60 more modernized tanks to Ukrainian forces in addition to the 14 already promised Leopard 2s.
“Well, first of all, we try to lead by example. Poland sent 250 tanks or even more a year ago, being the first country to do so,” he recalled in an interview with Canadian television CTV News regarding the Soviet-made T-72 tanks sent to Ukraine in the spring of 2022.
Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Saturday that his country would send Leopard 2 tanks, but did not specify the number.
Costa added that Portugal is negotiating with Germany to obtain spare parts needed to repair a number of inoperable Leopard tanks in service with Portugal.
“We are working now to be able to distribute some of our tanks,” Costa told the Lusa news agency during a trip to the Central African Republic. “I know how many tanks will be (sent to Ukraine), but it will be announced at the right time.”
Costa’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Admiral Antonio Silva Ribeiro, the head of Portugal’s armed forces, said last month that Portugal had 37 Leopard 2 tanks, but local media reported that most of them were inoperable.
When will the other modern tanks promised by the West arrive
Germany said it would send Leopard 2 tanks “in late March-early April.”
“By the end of January” training of the Ukrainian military in the use of Marder light armored vehicles should begin in Germany.
Training of the Ukrainian military in the use of Leopard tanks should take place “a little later”, said German Minister Boris Pistorius.
Britain hopes that the Challenger 2 tanks it is supplying to Ukraine will arrive in the country at the end of March, Defense Minister Alex Chokl said on Thursday.
Britain has said it will send 14 of its main battle tanks to Ukraine, along with additional artillery support.
In contrast, with regard to the powerful Abrams tanks, the White House said it could take many months for them to reach Ukraine.
The US also waited a long time to make this decision to send Abrams tanks. US President Joe Biden was even asked at a press conference whether Germany forced him to make the decision to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine.
- VIDEO Russian propaganda put pensioners “into battle” against Leopard tanks.
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Source: Hot News
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