German army battle tanks Leopard 2 return after exercise in Pabrade
"If all other countries had contributed in the same way as Denmark, the Ukrainians would be in a much better position right now,"boasted in regards to his country's astounding disclosure that it was donating its entire stock of 19 CAESAR 155-millimeter self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine. More guns and bullets are on their way, but the outstanding question before and during Ramstein was the will-they-won’t-they one of sending heavy armor to Ukraine. Without fortified vehicles, say military analysts, Kyiv’s ability to conduct combined-arms warfare for any forthcoming spring attack on the Russians will be difficult, as will any effort to stymie another massive attack by the Russians.
The most significant new commitment, however, came from the United Kingdom. On Jan. 15th, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced Britain was sending 14 Challenger 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine, a dam-break moment in the war and in Western military support for a country desperate to join both the European Union and NATO.
The model Ukraine needs most is the German-produced Leopard 2. This vehicle is high on Kyiv’s wish list for multiple reasons. It is the most widely used Western main battle tank and is in the arsenal of multiple European nations, including Ukraine’s staunch ally Poland, which, British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace hinted Thursday, had already put in a formal request for the transfer of 14.
Speaking at a campaign event on Monday, Scholz argued that German deliveries of tanks must be coordinated"especially with our transatlantic partner, with the United States of America." And on Wednesday Scholz's spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit claimed there was"no change in the situation now because of the step that the British government has announced.
In a further sign that Berlin was forfeiting the mantle of the European leadership it always believed it deserved, on Thursday, Wallace, along with representatives from Estonia, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Slovakia released a joint statement in Tallinn calling for the Ukrainians to be provided with the equipment it needs to win the war. Main battle tanks were the first item on the list. The Dutch have now even offered to pay for the Leopard 2s.