Germany has failed to agree with its main Western allies to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, despite growing pressure from NATO and Kyiv to step up military aid ahead of a potential Russian offensive in the spring.

According to CNN, the Leopard 2 tanks are considered a vital modern military machine that will strengthen Kyiv’s forces as the anniversary of the war with Russia approaches.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius denied on Friday that Berlin had unilaterally blocked the supply of Leopard tanks to Ukraine, but said the government was ready to act quickly on the issue if there was a consensus among allies, Reuters reported.

At the same time, he notes that Germany will need the consent of its allies to give the green light to the supply of German-made tanks to Ukraine, which will dash Ukraine’s hopes for a quick transfer.

In which countries and in what number are there Leopard 2 tanks

Thirteen European countries, including Poland and Finland, already have modern German Leopard 2 tanks, which were introduced in 1979 and have been upgraded several times since then, according to the European Council on Foreign Relations’ research center.

Many of them agreed to re-export some tanks to Kyiv, but this required German permission. According to the Portuguese Ministry of Defense, representatives of these Leopard tank-owning countries met on the sidelines of a meeting at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

In total, about 2,000 Leopard 2 machines of various levels of readiness are scattered throughout Europe.

Leopard 2 tank Photo: ABACA / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia

Characteristics of the Leopard 2 tank

• Each tank contains a 120 mm smoothbore gun and a 7.62 mm machine gun.
• It can reach a speed of 70 km per hour or 50 km per hour off-road, making maneuverability one of its key characteristics.
• The Leopard 2PL tank is equipped with a 1,500-horsepower engine, which has a range of 300 kilometers, “on the road” – up to 500 kilometers.
• It is equipped with an infrared optical firing system.
• According to German manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, it also has full protection against threats including improvised explosive devices, mines or anti-tank fire.

Why the Leopard needs to be delivered now, regardless of Abrams

The large number of units already near Ukraine and the Leopard’s relatively low maintenance requirements compared to other models lead experts to believe that these tanks could quickly help Ukraine.

“The Leopard 2 is a modern, well-protected main battle tank (Mbt) with good sensors,” Jack Watling, senior research fellow at the Royal Joint Forces Institute (RUSI), told CNN.

“It was originally designed to be serviced by recruits and is therefore easier to maintain in combat than other NATO models such as the Challenger 2. There is also an existing production line to service the Leopard 2, which is supplied with spare parts,” he claims.

Abrams M1A2 Sepv3 battle tank in Romaero – BSDAPhoto: HotNews.ro / Victor Kozmey

At the same time, the Leopard runs on diesel fuel, unlike the Abrams, which makes it more efficient and reduces the number of tankers needed to support them.

These are some of the reasons why critics of Berlin’s position say the Leopard 2 should be sent to Ukraine, regardless of whether the US decides to send its own M1 Abrams tanks.

“Leopards are available in Europe,” CDU lawmaker Roderich Kiesewetter told CNN on Friday. “The Abrams needs significant logistical support, it’s much more expensive to deliver (it),” he said, urging the government to drop its reluctance. (full on CNN)

Appeal of the EU and NATO on weapons

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told Reuters that Ukraine’s sponsors should focus not only on sending new weapons, but also on providing ammunition for older systems and helping maintain them.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told the meeting that Russia was regrouping, recruiting and trying to rearm.

“This is not the time to slow down. This is the time to dig deeper. The Ukrainian people are looking at us,” he said, without specifically mentioning the tanks.

A German government source said Berlin would approve the transfer of Leopard tanks if the United States agreed to send Abrams tanks, which were not included in Thursday’s US announcement of new military aid. Berlin said that these two problems are not related.

The EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Josep Borrell, said earlier that some European countries were ready to send heavy tanks and he hoped that a decision would be made.

Lithuania, which fears for its own future if Russia defeats Ukraine, said several countries would announce sending Leopard tanks to the meeting.

“Some of the countries will definitely send Leopard tanks to Ukraine, that’s for sure,” Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas told Reuters on Thursday.

Finland has pledged to provide Ukraine with more than 400 million euros worth of additional defense equipment and said it could add Leopard tanks if there is a deal with allies.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said he was “moderately pessimistic” that Berlin would give the green light. His government suggested that Poland could go ahead regardless of whether Germany gave the green light.

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