After days of controversy, Germany is starting to take a more accommodating stance on sending Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. On Sunday, for the first time, a German government minister said that Germany “won’t get in the way” if Poland wants to send Leopards to the Ukrainian army. It is a small step forward, which according to some analysts could anticipate a decision on the sending of tanks by Germany itself.
For days there have been considerable controversies around Germany, which despite requests from the Ukrainian government and pressure from its allies is hesitating to authorize the sending of its Leopard 2 tanks, for fear of provoking Russia too much. Leopard 2s are German-made tanks that are at the disposal of the militaries of various European countries, and would be best suited to support the Ukrainian war effort. Some European countries, starting with Poland, have said they are ready to send the Leopards supplied to their armies to Ukraine, but are blocked because the supply contracts stipulate that authorization is required to send the Leopards to another state of Germany.
For this reason, the statements made on Sunday to the French channel LCI TV by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock are remarkable. Baerbock, who since the beginning of the conflict has been the strongest supporter of the Ukrainian resistance within the government, said: “For now, the question has not been asked, but if we are asked, we will not get in the way” of sending of Leopard 2 by Poland.
In recent days between the German government and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki there had been a long-standing dispute, with Morawiecki accusing Germany of condemning Ukraine with its extreme caution. “It’s been almost a year since the war broke out,” Morawiecki said in an interview. “Evidence of Russian military war crimes can be seen on television and YouTube. What else does Germany need to wake up and start acting in line with the potential of the German state?”
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Poland, over the weekend, had even talked about the possibility of sending Leopard 2s without the consent of the German government. It is a risky move, because the Leopards sent to Ukraine would then need ammunition and maintenance, which can best only be offered by Germany. For this, the full consent of the German government is needed to send the Leopards to Ukraine, even if a third country does the sending using the means at its disposal. In hindsight, even Baerbock’s statement cannot be called a full consensus, and this probably means that there will be other decisions to be made.
In recent days, Morawiecki had hinted that there were also other countries, in particular Denmark and Finland, ready to supply some Leopard 2s to Ukraine, and had spoken of the possible creation of a “small coalition” to support the Ukrainian defenses with means heavy.
The Leopard 2s are considered to be the tanks best suited to Ukraine’s needs because they are modern and very versatile on various types of terrain. Furthermore, there are numerous means already available and practically ready to be sent from numerous countries close to the Ukrainian borders, which would make the transfer very fast. Finally, they require low maintenance and have various characteristics that make them more suitable than other tanks: among other things they have a diesel engine that is easy to fuel, unlike for example the American Abrams, which have a turbine engine with better performance but which requires much more energy.
The partial change of position mentioned by Baerbock could anticipate a comprehensive decision on the sending of tanks by Germany itself. Germany’s new defense minister, Boris Pistorius, said the government could make a decision very soon.
The UK government has recently authorized the shipment of 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, another circumstance that could lead to further pressure on the German government. French President Emmanuel Macron also said over the weekend that his country was considering sending its own Leclerc tanks to Ukraine.
