Even if the Federal Chancellor was still optimistic recently, the delivery of Leopard 2 tanks to the Ukraine is obviously anything but a sure-fire success.
According to German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, plans for the rapid delivery of dozens of European Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine are progressing slowly. It doesn’t look “quite so exciting – to put it mildly,” said the SPD politician on Tuesday at the sidelines of a meeting of the international contact group for arms deliveries to Ukraine.
In addition to the German commitment to deliver 14 Leopard 2A6, there has only been an announcement from Portugal that three such tanks will be made available. More A6 are currently not in discussion, said Pistorius. Leopard 2A4 tanks from Poland may have problems in terms of tank condition and serviceability.
When asked whether he had sympathy for countries that had put insane pressure to deliver tanks and now had delivery problems, Pistorius said: “Since I’m on the diplomatic stage here, I would say little.”
According to Pistorius, the question of how to ensure that there are enough ammunition and spare parts is still open. “The Federal Republic of Germany cannot ensure that, only the armaments companies can do that,” he said.
Scholz: “My impression is that it works”
At the end of last week, Chancellor Olaf Scholz was optimistic that the targets for the delivery of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine would be met. “My impression is that it works,” said the SPD politician on Friday night after the EU summit in Brussels. “But of course it won’t be easy.”
On January 25, the federal government announced the goal of providing the Ukraine with two battalions of Leopard 2 tanks. In Ukraine, these are usually equipped with 31 tanks each. As a first step, Germany itself wants to give up 14 tanks. The others should come from partner countries.
Source: Stern
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