War in Ukraine: Germany approves sending Leopard 2 tanks to Kiev and will allow other countries to do so

Germany has also ratified In other countries Could send their Leopard 2 to Ukraine. An estimated 2,000 of these vehicles are scattered across Europe.

Ukrainian officials have stressed the urgent need for more heavy weapons to counter a Russian invasion, and have said they could retake part of the captured territory if they had enough main battle tanks.

“It’s not 5, 10 or 15 tanks, the demand is highPresident Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday night, the lack of war supplies from the West reflects some Kyiv’s frustration.

Until now, the US and Germany have resisted internal and external pressure to send their tanks to Ukraine.

The Germans endured Political debates lasted for months Amid concerns that sending tanks could escalate the conflict and make the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) a key player in a war with Russia.

For its part, Washington argued that the Abrams equipped high-tech A lot of training and maintenance is required.

US media reported that an announcement about sending the Abrams ship to Ukraine could be made on Wednesday. The number may go up to 30.

Analysis by BBC security expert Jonathan Peel

Ukraine is unlikely to get the 300 modern main battle tanks it says it needs to win the war.

But if half a dozen Western countries supply 14 tanks each, Total will be almost 100It will make a difference.

Western tanks – including the British Challenger 2, the German Panther 2 and the American Abrams – are considered superior to their Soviet-era counterparts such as the ubiquitous T-72.

They will provide Ukrainian troops with greater protection, speed and accuracy.

But modern Western main battle tanks are not a miracle weapon They don’t change the rules of the game on their own. What is offered to them is also important.

Recent weeks have seen a sea change in heavy weapons supplied by the West, including hundreds of armored vehicles, artillery systems and ammunition.

Together, they create the military hardware needed to break through Russian borders and reclaim territory.

If Ukrainian troops Training and weapons can be provided on time, can be key components of any spring attack. But one factor in the equation is still missing in offensive operations: air power.

Since the start of the war, Ukraine has been asking the West to supply it with modern fighter jets. So far, nothing has been provided.

Within the European Union (EU), the decision rests with the German government Better reception in more militant member states Poland and the Baltic states, said the BBC’s Jessica Parker in Brussels.

In recent days, Poland has pressured Germany to send its Panthers and authorized other NATO allies that have these German-made tanks to send them.

The Polish government has announced that it is ready to send 14 Leopard 2s – out of a total of 250 – to Ukraine. Last year, Poland sent about 250 of its old Soviet-era T-72 main battle tanks to Ukraine.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki thanked President Scholz for what he described as a decision. “A Big Step to Stop Russia”.

But from the Kremlin, spokesman Dmitriy Peskov said there was an overestimation of the potential of these tanks to add to the Ukrainian army.

“These tanks burn like all the others. They are very expensive,” he added.

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