Germany has agreed to send its advance heavy battle tanks – Leopard 2 to Ukraine signaling a shift from its post Word War II non aggression policy.
Kiev is receiving the battle tanks from Germany and other Western countries after a fierce debate among Western allies, following an anticipate offensive from Russia in the coming weeks.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by Chancellor Olaf Scholz who said his country would quickly provide 14 Leopard 2 tanks as a “first step” and would allow other European nations to send their own Leopard tanks soon.
The German government also said the training of Ukrainian soldiers in using them will begin quickly, and has also approved in addition, the provision of maintenance and ammunition.
“This decision follows our well-known line of supporting Ukraine to the best of our ability. We are acting in a closely coordinated manner internationally,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a statement.
The development of battle field support for Ukraine comes as President Joe Biden was preparing to send dozens of American Abrams tanks to Ukraine, in a reversal.
The step follows an official request from the Polish government Tuesday asking Germany to sign off on plans to send Leopard 2 tanks to the battlefield — the culmination of a weekslong pressure campaign on Europe’s leading power to do more to back Ukraine’s cause at a key moment in the 11-month war.
Germany, which makes the heavy tanks, needs to grant permission for the arms to be sent to a non-NATO country. Ukrainian military leaders have said they need hundreds of the tanks to break through Russian defenses. There are an estimated 2,000 Leopard 2 tanks in Europe, including several hundred in Germany alone, according to the International Institute of Strategic Studies think tank.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy led Ukrainian officials in celebrating the announcement and thanking Scholz for what he called an “important & timely” move.
