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Germany Asks Switzerland to Resell Leopard 2 Tanks. PHOTO/Reuters
BERLIN – German have asked Switzerland to sell some tank Leopard 2 German factory. This is a deal that allows Western countries to increase military aid to Ukraine.
Germany wants Switzerland to sell back some of the tanks to arms maker Rheinmetall, which will allow the company to fill gaps in the arsenal of European Union and NATO members.
Germany, Poland, Portugal, Finland and Sweden were among the countries that sent Leopard tanks to help Ukraine defend against Russian attacks, creating gaps in their own arsenals.
As Reuters reports, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Economy Minister Robert Habeck informed Swiss Defense Minister Viola Amherd about the project in a letter dated February 23.
This was disclosed by the Swiss Defense Ministries in Bern and Berlin to Reuters on Friday. This story was first reported by the Swiss newspaper Blick.
In a letter seen by Reuters, the German government said it would be grateful if Switzerland could approve Rheinmetall’s purchase of the Leopard 2 tanks, as it has done in the past, if the tanks are not intended to be operational again.
“The tanks will not be sold to Ukraine. We guarantee that they will remain in Germany or with our partners in NATO and the European Union, in order to close the gaps that have arisen through the transfer of Leopard 2 tanks and to increase the supply of spare parts. in general,” the letter read.
The letter did not specify how many tanks Berlin was aiming for, but acknowledged that the German government was aware “that there are discussions in Switzerland too, about the consequences (Russia’s war in Ukraine) for its national defense”.
