In a hoped-for, in some quarters anticipated, move following the US’ own announcement on advanced Abrams MI tanks yesterday, early today it has been reported that Germany has approved Ukraine receiving the logistically less burdensome Leopard tanks.
From the NYT (first link above):
Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced on Wednesday that Germany would send its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and allow other nations to send their own, relenting after weeks of domestic and international pressure to deliver armored vehicles aimed at helping Kyiv regain territory seized by Russia.
The move came after U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the White House would announce as early as Wednesday that it would send M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, appearing to assuage Mr. Scholz’s reluctance to send tanks without Washington also doing so.
The German-made Leopard 2s are widely distributed across Europe, and countries like Poland and Finland have been pushing Berlin to ship them, or at least authorize them to send their own. Poland’s defense minister said on Tuesday that his country had formally requested Germany’s permission to send Ukraine Leopard tanks from its own stocks, and other countries have indicated that they would do the same.
as bolded above, this does not merely provide for direct transfers from Germany itself, but also clears reexporting to Ukraine from the likes of Poland and other European nations.
As they report things in WashPo (second link above) matters may now move fairly quickly, at least as far as European transfers are concerned:
In Europe, the goal is to quickly assemble two Leopard tank battalions — equivalent to about 80 tanks — for Ukraine, the German government said in a statement. As a first step, Germany will provide a company of 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks from Bundeswehr stocks. Other European allies will also provide tanks.
Ukrainian officials are counting on the Leopard 2s— which are fast, relatively easy to operate and plentiful in Europe — to help their forces gain an advantage on the battlefield. It is unclear when the German tanks could be delivered.
This comes on Biden’s watch and is yet another BFD!