Germany will supply 14 Leopard-2 tanks to Ukraine in an increase in western military aid to Kyiv.
Olaf Scholz announced the move at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, describing it as the result of “intensive consultations carried out between Germany and its closest European and international partners”.
Germany will aim to combine two tank battalions of German-made Leopard-2 tanks. As a first step, Berlin will supply the company with 14 Leopard 2-A6 tanks, from stocks held by the Bundeswehr, the German army.
“This decision follows the well-known line of making the best effort to support Ukraine,” Scholz said. “In this, we act in coordination with the international [partners].”
The move follows strong pressure from Kyiv and other EU countries including Poland and the Baltic states. It also accompanied a change in Washington, which was initially skeptical about the need to deploy Abrams tanks due to logistical and training challenges. The Biden administration is now preparing to announce it will send M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, according to people familiar with the matter.
Scholz hesitated to provide Ukraine with heavy armored vehicles, fearing that it would increase the risk of a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO and previously stressed that Germany would not “go it alone”.
Germany will give export approval to all countries that want to send Leopard-2 to Ukraine. As a manufacturer of tanks, Berlin has spoken about re-sale and export. Germany will also begin training Ukrainian soldiers using the weapons system. The package will include logistics, ammunition and system maintenance, according to Berlin.
The front line in the war has barely budged in recent weeks and Kyiv has supported western tanks will help to regain the initiative and reconquer the occupied territories. It also said it needed tanks to fend off a renewed Russian offensive in early spring.
Russia also warned that tanks sent to the west risked further escalating the conflict while reducing their importance, saying they would have little impact on the battlefield.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for president Vladimir Putin, said the public dispute over the Leopard-2 supply showed “not everything is smooth, both sides [Nato] alone and with tank supplies,” according to Interfax.