Now it’s official and Germany is sending Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine. But what’s next? An overview.
The most important things at a glance
Germany announced on Wednesday that it would deliver 14 Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine. In addition, the government wants to allow alliance partners – such as Poland – to export their Leopard tanks. But how many tanks does NATO unite? Who wants to deliver and who is still hesitating? An overview:
Which NATO countries have leopard stocks?
Of the 30 NATO member states, 17 do not have Leopard tanks in their inventory, including the US, Great Britain, France and Italy. Six countries have low stocks of the tanks: Portugal, the Netherlands, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia each have up to 49 of the tanks.
Norway and Canada have a population of up to 99 leopards. The Swedish military, on the other hand, has around 120 Leopard 2 tanks, and Poland and Finland have more than 200. Finland and Sweden have applied for NATO membership after long periods of military neutrality. However, Hungary and Turkey are the last countries to have not yet agreed to membership. Spain, Turkey, Greece and Germany itself each have more than 300 Leopard tanks. However, ownership does not mean that all tanks are immediately operational.
Who wants to deliver?
After Germany announced that it would deliver 14 Leopard 2 A6 main battle tanks to Ukraine, other NATO countries followed suit. Spain is also ready to deliver Leopard tanks to Ukraine, the Defense Ministry said, according to the EFE news agency. The Netherlands also declare their willingness to do so. Prime Minister Mark Rutte said his country could buy the tanks previously leased from Germany and then make them available to Ukraine.
Finland will join the group of states providing tanks to Ukraine, according to Defense Minister Mikko Savola. “International cooperation on the delivery of leopards to Ukraine is now progressing and Finland will participate in it,” he told journalists. He declined to comment on the exact scope. But his country’s contribution will be limited.
Of the 14 European countries that have Leopard tanks, Poland had also publicly signaled its willingness to sell some examples. According to reports from several US media, the USA wants to provide Abrams tanks. The New York Times reports that 30 to 50 copies are under discussion. Great Britain has already committed 14 Challenger tanks. Russia, which attacked Ukraine eleven months ago, has sharply criticized the US plans as “blatant provocation”.
Who is still hesitating?
Sweden currently has no plans to deliver Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine, but does not rule it out in the future. According to media reports, Norway – the home country of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg – is also considering sending Leopard 2 to Ukraine. A decision has not yet been made. Norway could make up to eight of its 36 Leopard tanks available.
Who doesn’t want to deliver Leopard tanks to Ukraine?
The Czech Republic announced that it does not want to give up the Leopard 2 main battle tanks in favor of Ukraine, which Germany has promised in the course of a ring exchange. “It is now not possible to send the Leopards on because we need these tanks for our security,” Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala told dpa after a meeting with Scholz in Berlin.
Germany is making 14 Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks and Buffalo armored recovery vehicles available to the Czech Republic as part of a ring exchange. These are the replacements for Soviet-made tanks delivered to Ukraine.
When should the first tanks arrive?
According to Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, the first Leopard main battle tanks from Germany could be in Ukraine in about three months. The SPD politician said on Wednesday after a meeting of the Bundestag’s Defense Committee in Berlin. The training is now beginning very quickly and the supply routes will be clarified very quickly.
It is also expected that other NATO and EU countries will announce that they will send tanks on Wednesday. The US tank plans could also become more concrete on Wednesday.
Are there any plans for further deliveries?
Scholz ruled out the delivery of combat aircraft or the deployment of ground troops on Wednesday in the Bundestag. “I made it clear very early on that it’s not about combat aircraft and I’m doing the same here,” said the SPD politician. When no-fly zones were discussed shortly after the beginning of the war, he and US President Joe Biden said: “We will not do that. And nothing has changed in this attitude and nothing will change.”
