Germany expects to deliver its Leopard tanks to Ukraine “at the end of March, beginning of April”

DAY

Germany intends to deliver the promised Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine “at the end of March, beginning of April”, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Thursday.

“It is planned that we will have the company at the end of March at the beginning of April” in Ukraine, declared the minister, during a visit to Bundeswehr troops in Saxony-Anhalt (east ). 

The training of Ukrainian soldiers in the handling of light armored Marders, promised by Berlin at the beginning of the year, will begin “by the end of January” in Germany, and the training on the Leopards will follow “a little later”, a-t- he added.

After weeks of hesitation, the United States and Germany announced the delivery of heavy tanks to Ukraine on Wednesday, marking another milestone in military support to Kyiv, in the prospect of a possible counter-offensive against the Russian invasion.

Ukraine said it hoped to receive these devices as soon as possible, stressing that “the key” would be “the speed and volume” of the deliveries.

Berlin must provide Kyiv with 14 Leopard 2 type 2A6 from the stocks of its army, the Bundeswehr, and decided to allow its Western allies with these German-made armor to do the same.

Poland and Norway have declared their readiness to deliver Leopard 2s. According to several media, the coalition of countries ready to supply such armor also includes Denmark and the Netherlands, in addition to Poland and Finland. Spain has confirmed that it is “willing” to also deliver tanks.

According to the German government, the objective is to constitute, with partner countries, “two battalions equipped with Leopard 2 tanks for the Ukraine”. This would represent 80 to 90 gear. Washington, for its part, announced the dispatch of 31 Abrams.

The Kremlin on Thursday denounced the “direct involvement” of the West in the conflict after the announcement of the delivery of dozens of European and American tanks .