Ukraine has more weapons for its war with Russia but not German tanks

Ukraine has managed to rally the West again to supply weapons, including Bradley fighting vehicles, self-propelled howitzers, and others, a month before the anniversary of the war. Despite an enthusiastic response from many countries, Germany is still keeping its supply of Leopard 2A$ tanks, which Ukraine says could be key to a spring offensive – and to the frustration of NATO allies.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Friday at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany told reporters that his government had not yet agreed to send the tanks or allow third-party countries that have German-made vehicles to send them to Ukraine for a possible spring offensive. Defense ministers from allied countries met at a US military base on Friday to discuss another arms package for Ukraine.

During the war, there was a high level of coordination between NATO and other allies, not only in terms of weapons packages, but also in imposing sanctions on Russia and other aid to Ukraine. Coordination on the arms package requires diplomacy, and there are laws and regulations on arms transfers – hence the meeting in Ramstein and the confab in Estonia.

However, the call for Leopards – and the disappointment with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for refusing to allow the release – has overshadowed the news of the package of weapons that came as a result of coordination by some 50 different countries. On Saturday, the Baltic states – Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania – issued a statement urging Germany to provide the tanks as soon as possible. “Germany as the leading European power has a special responsibility in this regard,” the statement said.

On Thursday, the nine countries meeting in Estonia – Denmark, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, the UK, Lithuania, Poland, the Netherlands, and Slovakia – all pledged their support for the larger package announced by Ramstein Friday. The pledge includes training, ammunition, man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS, i.e. Stinger missiles), helicopters, and anti-aircraft weapons, among other systems.

“This is an important moment,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at the Ramstein meeting on Friday. “Russia is regrouping, recruiting and trying to re-equip,” after the successful Ukrainian campaign in Kharkiv and Kherson this fall, he said, adding that “this is not the moment to slow down – it’s time to dig deeper.”

As Austin noted, the Russians may be planning a spring offensive building in their mobilization efforts this fall. And after pulling out of the Kharkiv and Kherson regions, the Russian military – especially the Wagner Group mercenary unit and the newly appointed transnational criminal organization – has pushed back in the crushing war through the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region.

The coordinated arms package shows continued Western support

Throughout the Western war and NATO’s support for the war effort in Ukraine has remained firm, despite the potential for tension over rising fuel prices caused by sanctions on Russian energy, among other possible pain points. European countries and the US have provided Ukraine with billions of dollars in weapons systems, training, equipment, ammunition, and humanitarian aid in the 11 months since the war broke out, led by US leaders.

In the latest package – announced just two weeks after the US pledged the largest aid to Ukraine – NATO and other partners pledged to increase air defenses, such as Patriot launchers and missiles from the Netherlands and Germany, in addition to what the US promised. December 21 The system intercepts incoming missiles like those used by Russia to bomb Ukraine’s critical infrastructure.

The US will also send additional Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, as well as Stryker armored personnel carriers, mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles (MRAPs) and Humvees – all of which will help with greater battlefield mobility, especially when Russian forces use landmines, even. in the civil area.

Sweden sent the Archer artillery system, a type of howitzer that was highly accurate, easy to use, and allowed rapid redeployment of weapons. This weapon system fires long-range projectiles, and the Archer in particular is highly mobile, meaning it can deploy and move quickly. Denmark and Estonia also contributed howitzers.

Britain also pledged 14 Challenger 2 tanks – the first Western-style tanks to be sent to Ukraine during the conflict. Previous partners have provided Ukraine with Soviet-built tanks and from the former Warsaw Pact countries which have been decimated after years of war. The new vehicle not only offers Ukraine modern tanks, but also puts pressure on other partners to supply their own tanks.

What is being held in Germany?

Despite the new package partner countries announced, Germany’s reluctance to provide or allow other partner countries to deliver the Leopard 2 has been a point of contention in the partnership.

Germany has refused to deliver the Leopard 2 unless the US delivers the M-1 Abrams, with Scholz saying Germany will not “go it alone” on weapons decisions. Critics of the calculation argue that the Leopards and Challenger are the only vehicles suitable for today’s battlefields, available in large numbers and easy to maintain with current supply lines.

“The leopard is in Europe, it’s easy to get to Ukraine and some European countries use it, so it’s available,” Minna Ålander, a researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, told the New York Times Thursday. “Logistics and maintenance will be easier. Spare parts and know-how are in Europe, so training Ukrainians will be easier.

The Leopard 2 tank, first introduced in 1979, is used in 13 countries. There are about 2,000 spread across these European countries, all with tweaks, upgrades, and combat readiness, a September blog post from the European Council on Foreign Relations noted. Germany’s more cautious military culture after World War II has been a source of blame for Berlin’s reluctance to deliver weapons.

While large numbers of tanks will be essential to Ukraine’s battlefield efforts – Kyiv initially requested 88 Leopard 1 tanks and 100 Marder-type infantry fighting vehicles, another product of the German defense industry – the small number of Challenger tanks arriving from the UK will not. be the deciding factor in how and whether Ukraine can make a big advantage over Russia. Tanks offer protection and firepower, and can maneuver in difficult situations. However, “It’s not about one platform,” Austin said Friday, according to the Associated Press, noting that the armored and combat vehicles the US is sending will provide new battlefield capabilities in Ukraine.

US politicians, including Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul have both called on the US to send at least one Abrams to Ukraine in order to force Germany’s hand.

Poland, too, is pushing back, saying it can determine how to send Leopards with or without German approval. “Consent is of secondary importance here, we will get this consent quickly, or we will do what we need ourselves,” Prime Minister Morawiecki told broadcaster Polstat News on Wednesday. Finland is also on board to send its Leopards, Morawiecki said that his nation will surround Germany to build a small coalition of partners willing to send their tanks. “We will not watch Ukraine passively until it dies,” he said.

Poland, Finland and the Baltic states are frontline countries – some, like the Baltic states, are part of the Soviet Union or subject to Russian and Soviet invasion, like Finland – have tended to sound the alarm quickly about the need to deal with it. from Russian aggression. “War is here and now,” Moriawicki said Sunday. “Does Germany want to stay [the Leopards] in storage until Russia defeats Ukraine and knocks on Berlin’s door?”