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Germany will officially deliver Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. Photos/Illustrations
BERLIN – German on Wednesday (25/1/2023) announced it would deliver a Leopard 2 main battle tank (MBT) to Ukraine. This makes Germany among a dozen other countries reportedly ready to deliver armored vehicles to Kiev.
In its statement, Berlin said as a first step it would provide 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks from its Bundeswehr or military stockpiles with the aim of “immediately” assembling two tank battalions.
Ukrainian crews will be trained in Germany who will also provide logistics, ammunition, and system maintenance.
The move followed “intensive consultations” among Germany’s allies that took place as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz faced increasing pressure over their perceived reluctance to provide Kiev with the tanks they said were essential for the fight against Vladimir Putin’s forces.
“This decision follows our well-known line of supporting Ukraine to the best of our ability,” Scholz said according to a translation.
“We are acting in an internationally coordinated manner,” he added.
Read: Germany Officially Sends 14 Leopard 2 Tanks to Ukraine
The re-export of German-made tanks required a Berlin permit so it was thought that the green light from Berlin would cause other countries to follow suit.
For information, there are 13 militaries in Europe that use Leopard 2 tanks.
A senior Ukrainian official told ABC News that a 12-nation coalition had pledged MBTs to Ukraine at a summit of allied nations at US Air Force Base Ramstein in Germany last Friday.
