Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands announced a joint initiative on Tuesday to send around 100 Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine, some of which could arrive “within months”.
It’s a much shorter timeline than the more advanced tanks that Ukraine’s Western allies have pledged as they seek to fortify the besieged nation in the face of an expected new offensive. of Russia.
New plan announced when the German defense minister met with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kievcomplements Germany’s agreement last month to send 14 more modern Leopard 2 tanks and one US pledges to send 31 Abrams M1 main battle tanks.
Germany announced that it has approved re-export permits for up to 178 Leopard 1 tanks, but the final number “depends on the necessary repair work”. Because the tanks were made in Germany, Berlin had to approve the transfer of vehicles sold to other countries for re-export to a third party.
On the German side, the Leopard 1 tank will not come from the army but from German weapons manufacturers. On Tuesday, the chief executive officer of one such manufacturer, Rheinmetall, said at a press conference that it expects to supply Ukraine with between 20 and 25 Leopard 1s this year and 88. more next year, Reuters reported.
With the addition of Denmark and the Netherlands to the Leopard 1 export plan, more battle tanks could arrive in Ukraine much sooner than any advanced German or American tanks, which could take months.
“Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands are supplying refurbished Leopard 1 A5 from industrial warehouses; the first ones will be delivered within a few months,” said a joint statement from the three countries. “In doing so, we are guided by the needs of Ukraine. Our initiative includes training on the Leopard 1 A5 as well as spare parts and ammunition packs.”
The three countries said they would welcome other governments to join them, and they have already received interest from Belgium.
For weeks, Germany refused to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, despite heavy pressure from its European allies, and only agreed to the plan after Washington said it would send some of its M1 Abrams tanks. only me. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been wary of being seen by a NATO ally as contributing to an escalation against Russia.
At least some of the Leopard 1 tanks will need more refurbishment and modernization, and there are concerns that ammunition supplies could run out, even though they are standard NATO sizes.
Some of the necessary ammunition is manufactured in Switzerland, where a strict neutrality policy has hindered sales for use in Ukraine. Brazil also produces ammunition for the Leopard 1 tank. But because of its close relationship with Russia, Brazil refused to supply Germany with its own ammunition.
Unlike the Leopard 1 – the first main battle tank built for the German armed forces after World War II – the more modern Leopard 2 is one of the world’s leading battle tanks. It has been used by the German Army for decades and by the armies of more than a dozen other European countries, as well as the armies of countries such as Canada and Indonesia. Leopard 2 has been used in conflicts in Afghanistan, Kosovo and Syria.
