The appointment of Germany’s new defense minister, Social Democrat Boris Pistorius, could mark a turning point in Ukraine’s war against Russia. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government appears keen to give the go-ahead for the shipment of the tanks so desperately demanded by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, vehicles that could turn the tide of the conflict.
Ukraine has already received more than 230 tanks from Poland and the Czech Republic, but much of the Kiev fleet has been destroyed or worn out by months of fighting and is out of ammunition incompatible with the western one. For that it needs the German-made Leopard 2, which is said to be the most powerful armored vehicle in the world, but to get them it needs the OK from Berlin, even if another state were to donate them. Experts say these assets, in significant numbers, would greatly enhance Ukraine’s ability to push back Russian forces and play a key role in battles for control of disputed cities in Donbas’s eastern provinces. Ukraine’s senior military commander, General Valery Zaluzhny, has argued that Kyiv would need about 300 Western tanks and about 600 Western armored fighting vehicles to make a difference on the battlefield.
New German defense minister appointed, tanks closer to Ukraine
In a Ukrainian offensive, tanks would advance alongside troops protected by infantry fighting vehicles. Designed to transport troops to the hot spots of battle, these vehicles, along with tanks, provide protection and fire support for the squads within them. This combination is powerful for an army, especially when coupled with long-range fire and massive air support, especially from combat drones. When used correctly, armor is the armored fists capable of penetrating defense lines.
And for that, the country desperately needs the German Leopard 2. About 2,000 of these tanks are present in the armies of a dozen NATO member nations, and several allies are hoping to donate 90 of them as part of an international effort to bolster support for resistance against the step up the invasion ordered by Vladimir Putin. But before they can ship these Krauss-Maffei Wegmann-manufactured vehicles, governments must obtain approval from Berlin in the form of export declarations for each vehicle. Chancellor Scholz is coming under increasing pressure from NATO allies to approve the deliveries, especially from countries like Poland and Lithuania.
“I honestly have to say that it’s a shame because every day of this war costs a lot,” said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda during an event in Davos, commenting on Germany’s failure to get the green light. “We cannot afford these delays and the decision-making needs to be firm and quick,” he added. Andrzej Duda, his Polish counterpart, said a German government decision on export permits was “very, very, very, very necessary,” adding: “Germany is part of the NATO alliance and if there’s a situation where some allies ready to surrender their tanks to Ukraine is an important moment”. Rishi Sunak’s United Kingdom was the first western country to supply Kyiv with modern tanks, providing Ukraine with a squadron of 14 Challenger IIs, a move which was supported by Washington and which puts even more pressure on Scholz.
The United States could send Abrams tanks, but they are considered unsuitable in large numbers because they run on kerosene engines that use too much fuel to be practical for Ukraine. However, the Leopard 2 has a more economical engine that burns diesel, which is also easier to come by than kerosene. To obtain these armored vehicles, Kyiv relies only on donations from other nations, since the law forbids the German armaments industry from producing tanks to keep them in stock. Countries ordering new crawlers must be ready to wait at least two years for delivery, and for Ukraine that’s too long.
The German company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann has built more than 3,500 Leopard 2s since production began in 1978. The vehicle is currently owned by about 20 nations, which means that different governments could supply some of their caterpillars to Ukraine, which would thus have a large and unified fleet, making both maintenance and crew training easier would.
Nations using Leopard include Canada, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Turkey. The Leopard 2 is one of the most common Western tanks, although with the end of the Cold War, heavy vehicles are in short supply in most parts of the West and many countries have drastically reduced their armies since the fall of Communism. Germany, for example, has about 350 Leopard 2 tanks today, compared to about 4,000 tracked armor it had at the height of the Cold War.