It would be remiss of us not to acknowledge we had hoped Germany’s European partners would show greater support for this initiative once Berlin had made its decision. In September 2022, we made the case for just such a European-Ukrainian Leopard 2 coalition given Kyiv’s pressing need for Western-produced heavy armour and the limited national stocks of these systems in individual European countries. This legacy means that only a European coalition can mobilise, refurbish, and supply a significant number of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. Belief was widespread in Europe that large-scale conflict was a thing of the past austerity measures led to a reduction in cold-war era reserve stockpiles of tanks, spare parts, and ammunition. But the deafening silence from some capitals about actually sending Leopards is an early reminder that much work remains to be done to sustain, and eventually expand, Ukraine’s future fleet of European tanks.įrom the early 1990s onwards, the number of operational main battle tanks in European armies dropped considerably. Previously, the governments of Poland and Finland had stated their readiness to do so as part of a coalition of European countries. Germany will now provide Ukraine with 14 of its own Leopard 2 tanks and allow other European countries to supply theirs as well deliveries are set to begin soon.

The decision by Chancellor Olaf Scholz came five days after the most recent Ramstein format meeting, where expectations had been high for such an announcement. On 25 January, the German government authorised the transfer of European stocks of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

Germans not allowed modern tanks