The spring launch of a new Russian offensive feared by Ukraine is increasing tensions and the need to receive the tanks promised by NATO member countries. Two months after promises to provide Leopard 2 to create at least two armored brigades, things are moving so slowly that worries Kiev.
“It will be half a battalion”
On Wednesday, after a meeting in Brussels, Germany announced that it would send enough to form “half a battalion” by the end of March. Berlin will finally send “14 Leopard 2 A6 from Germany, plus 3 announced by Portugal.”
The Netherlands also mentioned sending 14 Leopard 2 tanks, but here again, Germany brings a nuance.
Poland committed in January to supply 60 older Leopard 2 tanks. But President Andrzej Duda, who came to Brussels to meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, did not give any indication on the date of supply of these armored vehicles.
If Norway announced on Tuesday the supply of eight Leopard 2 with four additional support vehicles, no precision was given on the delivery date.
100 Leopard 1 “in the coming months”
Finally, Spain, which has several dozen unused Leopard 2s since 2012, had first said it would keep them before changing its mind in the avalanche of European promises. These tanks must first be overhauled and in some cases repaired, which takes time and resources. When will they arrive? Madrid does not say. Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles has indicated from the outset that she will not be able to keep up with Germany’s delivery of tanks since early spring.
Around a hundred Leopard 1 A5s remain, an older generation that must be refitted to withstand the power of high-intensity warfare. These tanks are to be provided by Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark. According to the German Defense Minister, Ukraine should receive them “in the coming months”, without giving further details.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is urging that they be sent to Ukraine to help his troops contain attacks launched by Russian forces. The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, echoed this request on Wednesday.
Source: BFM TV
