Germany announces shipment of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine; Russia responds with warnings

First modification: 25/01/2023 – 14:03

Leopard 2 tanks, the jewel of the German Army now at the disposal of the Ukrainian defenses.

The spokesman for the German Government, Steffen Hebestreit, confirmed this Wednesday, January 25, that his country will make a first delivery of 14 of these powerful combat vehicles from its reserves, with the aim of supplying Ukraine with two full battalions.

In addition, it will accept the re-export of those tanks to kyiv by other European partners such as Poland or Finland, Baltic states on the eastern flank of NATO, willing to support the Ukrainian forces, and which claim to be more threatened by Russian hostilities.

Hebestreit added that Ukrainian troops will be trained to use it soon and Germany will provide logistics and ammunition.

“The decision of Chancellor Scholz is welcomed in Poland because these tanks are very necessary to repel a possible Russian offensive that is possible in the coming weeks,” replied the foreign policy adviser to the Polish Presidency, Marcin Przydacz.

The German-made vehicles would be on the battlefield next March, according to estimates by the former commander of US land forces in Europe, Mark Hertling.

Used in more than a dozen countries, the Leopard 2, which strengthened Germany’s military capabilities in the late 1970s against the communist bloc, has a range of around 500 km and a top speed of 68 km/h. .

Why is Germany’s new position significant?

Germany’s doubts showed signs of fracturing the unity position of the allies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). A weakness for some, in which countries like Poland increase their geopolitical weight by leading a strong coalition of allies against Russian aggression on the continent.

As it is the manufacturer, Berlin had to give the go-ahead to the other European nations to award the Leopard 2 to a country that is not part of NATO, such as Ukraine.

However, on January 23, Warsaw threatened to send them to the territory invaded by Russia above the provisions of the Olaf Sholz Administration and Berlin reversed its position.

Pressure has recently mounted on a government reluctant to supply kyiv with more military potential, especially after NATO defense ministers met last week at the Ramstein military base in Germany.

Although it has sent military aid to kyiv, Germany had been hesitant to requests from the Zelensky government, made since March 2022, to provide powerful tanks it sees as crucial in curbing Russia’s military potential.

Germany has been one of the most reticent countries when it comes to strengthening the Ukrainian Army. Limitations that are explained in its energy dependence on Russia and the fear of an escalation of the conflict that involves NATO.

The German territory has been one of the most dependent in the European Union on Russian hydrocarbons, with up to 55% of its gas imports coming from Moscow by 2022.

But the evasions also fall on the traditional position of antimilitarism that Berlin adopted after the Second World War, with which it is committed to diplomacy and commercial relations beyond security issues.

A long-standing position that Berlin is now giving up to strengthen kyiv almost a year after the war.

Meanwhile, US officials told Reuters that Washington is ready to send dozens of its M1 Abrams main battle tanks to Volodymyr Zelensky’s army, which would affect the course of the war. A decision that the Joe Biden Administration had also conditioned on the delivery of the German tanks by indicating a greater ease of maneuver for the Ukrainian Army and the geographical proximity that would facilitate its transfer, unlike the US tanks.

Russia warns against what it sees as ‘blatant provocation’

Increased aid from the West raises the anger of the Kremlin.

The Russian embassy in Germany said Berlin’s decision means it is abandoning its “historical responsibility to Russia” stemming from Nazi crimes in World War II.

In a statement, the diplomatic headquarters warned that the measure would escalate the conflict to a new level.

In addition, Moscow referred to the Abrams tanks that the United States is expected to send to kyiv. Moscow threatened that they would “burn” on the battlefield and be a “waste of money”.

“I am sure that many experts understand the absurdity of this idea. The plan is disastrous in terms of technology (…) But above all, it overestimates the potential that it will add to the Ukrainian Army. These tanks will burn like all the others,” he said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

The new cooperation between Germany and the United States with Ukraine comes in the face of an intensification of the war next spring, as the Western allies foresee.

The announcement also comes just on a day in which the Ukrainian troops confirmed their withdrawal from Soledar, in the east of the country, after the forceful advance of the Russian military, backed by the Wagner mercenary group.

With Reuters and AP