Some countries are criticising Germany for refusing to supply Leopard 2 tanks to bolster Ukraine’s fighting capacity in the nearly year-long conflict with Russia. On Friday, 50 countries agreed to provide Kyiv with billions of dollars in military hardware, including armoured vehicles and munitions, to counter Russian forces.
However, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters at the US Ramstein airbase in Germany that “we still cannot say when a decision will be taken, and what the decision will be, when it comes to the Leopard tank,” despite the heightened expectations, said a report by the Guardian.
Ukraine on Saturday denounced the “global indecision” of its allies in providing heavy-duty modern tanks, saying “today’s indecision is killing more of our people”. “Every day of delay is a day of death for Ukrainians. “Think faster,” presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted.
Several allies agreed with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, that the tanks were critical in the country’s fight against its much larger neighbour. Germany can veto the tanks’ re-export because they were supplied to countries under export licences.
So, What are These Leopard 2 Tanks?
Tanks on the Ukraine Battlefield
Tanks have been prominent on the battlefield since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine last February.
Ukraine, for its part, has mostly relied on Soviet-era T-72 tanks. The West has already provided other armoured vehicles and has pledged to send more, including Bradley fighting vehicles and Stryker combat vehicles from the United States, as well as a recently announced shipment of Challenger 2 tanks from the United Kingdom, the NPR report explains.
None, however, can compete with the modern battle tanks produced by Germany and the United States in terms of accuracy, firepower, and mobility. According to Ukrainian officials, such tanks could be the key to a quick Ukrainian victory — possibly even this year.
What Is Causing the Delay?
Germany can veto re-export because the tanks were supplied to countries under export licences, but Poland suggested on Thursday that it could simply ignore Germany and export its Leopards regardless, a report by the Guardian said.
Germany’s position has been contradictory, the report says, as it prefers a multilateral approach to arms supply to Ukraine over being perceived as acting unilaterally.
Although Germany has provided a large amount of equipment to Ukraine, including armoured vehicles, it has also struggled with its post-World War II anti-militarism. The supply of main battle tanks had been viewed as problematic due to their clearly offensive capabilities.
Germany had attempted to tie the supply of Leopards to a larger coalition that would supply other tanks, including US Abrams – a tank that experts believe is less suitable for the war in Ukraine due to its high fuel consumption.
Read all the Latest Explainers here
Comments
0 comment