RT.com
25 Jan 2023, 08:14 GMT+10
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has agreed to deliver Leopard 2 tanks to prop up Kiev forces, Der Spiegel reports
Berlin has changed its stance on delivery of Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine, finally agreeing to send in the hardware, Der Spiegel reported on Tuesday, citing sources.
According to the weekly, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has agreed to provide Kiev with enough armored vehicles to equip a tank company. While the outlet did not specify an exact number, a company is usually comprised of at least 16 tanks. The looming delivery is expected to involve one of the latest variants of the combat vehicle, namely Leopard 2A6 tanks.
The tanks in question will come from Germany's Bundeswehr stocks, Der Spiegel noted. The Financial Times also reported on Berlin's decision, citing sources "familiar with the matter."
Earlier on Tuesday, a representative of German arms giant Rheinmetall told RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND) news website that the company could provide some 139 Leopard 2 variants to Ukraine, with a batch of 22 Leopard 2A4 expected to be ready in about a year.
The company also has an additional 29 Leopard 2A4 tanks in its inventory, which are being overhauled as part of Berlin's weapons transfer program with other European nations. Those vehicles are nearly operational and are expected to be ready by April or May. The company could also provide 88 older Leopard 1 tanks, according to the representative, who did not provide any timeframe for when the armored vehicles from the 1960s would be operational.
In recent days, Berlin also signaled it has changed its stance on deliveries of German-made tanks to Ukraine by third countries. Speaking to France's broadcaster LCI on Sunday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that, were countries like Poland to officially ask for such permission, Berlin "would not stand in the way." The message was amplified by the country's new Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, who encouraged countries in possession of Leopard 2 tanks to start training Ukrainian crews on how to operate them.
Berlin's apparent change of heart on the tanks issue comes after some of its allies, namely Poland, harshly criticized the government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz for its reluctance to authorize transfer of German-made combat vehicles to Kiev. Warsaw has signaled it was ready to do so without permission.
Moscow has repeatedly urged the collective West to stop "pumping" Ukraine with weaponry, maintaining it would reach its goals regardless of the enduring support for Kiev.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Europe Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Europe Sun.
More InformationWASHINGTON D.C.: The White House said this week that Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk met with John Podesta, a Democratic ...
MANILA, Philippines: In an effort to attract more tourists, President Ferdinand Marcos has approved a value-added tax refund program for ...
TRIPOLI, Libya: Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni held talks on energy and migration in Libya this weekend, which are major ...
MIAMI, Florida: This decade, the US south is expected to see more new residents than any other region in the ...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: After reporting record revenues in the fourth-quarter of 2022, US airlines expect strong travel demand ...
MANILA, Philippines: After a Filipina domestic worker was killed and dumped in the desert in the oil-rich emirate of Kuwait, ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: In the latest indication that its interest rate hikes are slowing the US economy, the Federal Reserve's main ...
BEIJING, China: As COVID-19 restrictions and a slowing economy curbed consumer demand in 2022, China's smartphone sales witnessed a record ...
TOKYO, Japan: After struggling for years to promote its products amid protests from conservationists, Japanese whaling company Kyodo Senpaku announced ...
NEW DELHI, India: Marking a year since the Tata Group took control of Air India, the former state-run carrier has ...
NEW YORK, New York - A slowing of wages growth in the fourth quarter, as reported by the Labor Department, ...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: As it sets aside more funds to cover potentially bad loans, American Express announced that ...