Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Wednesday that Germany should quickly order new Leopard tanks to replace the Leopard tanks that will be delivered to Ukraine, adding that he does not care where the money comes from, Reuters and Agerpres reported.

Boris Pistorius on a German Leopard 2 A6 tankPhoto: Ann-Marie Utz / AFP / Profimedia

“For me, the decisive fact is that we have to order new tanks not in a year, but quickly, so that we can start production,” he told reporters during a visit to a tank battalion in the western city of Augustdorf. of the country that was chosen to supply Kyiv with 14 Leopard 2A6 tanks promised by Germany.

“Where will the money come from? Let me say this off the record: I honestly don’t care. It is important to be able to provide them quickly,” Pistorius added.

The minister was asked if he was pushing for an increase in a special fund of 100 billion euros, created to modernize the army after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

During the visit, experts presented Pistorius with the effectiveness of the weapons system and demonstrated the possibilities of using military equipment.

As of August 2022, the 203rd Tank Battalion, with approximately 550 soldiers, formed the core of the NATO Battle Group in Lithuania, which helps strengthen the Alliance’s eastern flank.

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