Why Germany Is Nervous to Send the Leopard 2 to UkraineĮvidently, the legacy of Hitler’s genocidal invasion of the Soviet Union in World War II still leaves Berlin in knots, recalling an era in which its ‘Big Cats’-heavily armored Tiger and Panther tanks-prowled across Eastern Europe, developing so fearsome and exaggerated a reputation that 70 years later the former type starred as the supernatural villain of Russian war film White Tiger.īut now Kyiv wants Germany’s big cats to return this time to defend Ukraine, not aid in its conquest. While there are many Abrams in storage which are broadly comparable to the Leopard 2, they’re less fuel-efficient and require jet rather than diesel fuel, unlike most Ukrainian tanks. also donates some of its M1 Abrams main battle tanks. Finland has also indicated it might donate some of its 200 Leopard 2s, 100 of which are in storage.īut after the meeting, newly appointed German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius continued to demure, claiming Berlin’s blessing would come only if the move is agreed to by “all allies.” Some sources allege that means Germany may only authorize Leopard 2 transfers if the U.S. President Duda of Poland, which operates 240 Leopard 2 tanks, has declared plans to transfer a Leopard 2 company (10-15 tanks) to Ukraine. The 55 to 65-ton Leopard 2s boast significant armor, firepower and spotting advantages against most of Russia’s 40-50 ton tanks. Why the Leopard 2 Tank Is So Important to Ukraine: At Ramstein airbase on Friday, multiple countries pressed Berlin for permission to donate German-built Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine as part of a package of arms transfers said to include “hundreds” of armored vehicles of various types.Īfter the end of the Cold War, Berlin sold off many of the 3,600 Leopard 2s built, which are today operated by 21 countries across four continents.
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