These days may become key for Western partners to make a decision regarding the supply of tanks to Ukraine. Work continues on the formation of the so-called “tank coalition” – a group of countries that are ready to provide Western-made tanks. Another meeting in the format can be a turning point “Rammstein» – when dozens of defense ministers will gather in Germany to discuss the next package of Western military aid for the Armed Forces. Will there be tanks in it? It depends on Germany, but not only. Let’s understand the tank topic.
Since the beginning of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, which had stocks of Soviet tanks since the Warsaw Pact, have already transferred them to Ukraine. According to some data, Ukraine received 400-410 Soviet-made tanks from post-communist countries – mostly T-72. They were provided by Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Slovenia…
These tanks, having entered the battle, would show themselves to be several heads higher than any tank of the Russian army
At the end of last year, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, General Valery Zaluzhnyi said that Ukraine needs 300 more tanks to win the war. Apparently, Western-made tanks were meant.
“These tanks, having entered the battle, would show themselves to be several heads higher than any tank of the Russian army that they currently have in service. And considering that they had all kinds of T-72s or T-90s there, which are actually not much different from the T-72B… If you look globally, Western tanks were created to be as effective as possible against the tanks of the Soviet Union as well “, the editor-in-chief of the Defense Express portal told RFE/RL Oleg Katkov.
Currently, everything is “fixated” on Germany, which produces tanks Leopard-2, which are in service with many European members of NATO and the EU.
According to the Ukrainian side, currently five countries are ready to provide Leopards to Ukraine, but since Germany is the producing country, Berlin must also have permission.
Western tanks, getting into battle, would show themselves to be several heads higher than any tank of the Russian army
Among these five countries, two are known – Poland (has about 250 Leopard tanks) and Finland (has more than a hundred Leopard tanks). Three more countries have not been named yet.
In total, Leopard tanks are in service with the armies of 20 countries. Leopard.-2 weighs more than 60 tons, has a 120 mm gun and can hit targets at a distance of up to five kilometers.
But Germany is looking at other partners – in particular, the USA.
Last week the chancellor Olaf Scholz said that “Germany will not resort to independent steps.”
“Germany will always be united with its friends and allies. Especially with our transatlantic partner – the USA. Anything else would be irresponsible in such a dangerous situation,” Scholz said.
Therefore, Germany now looks to the USA, and the USA to Germany, when considering whether to transfer American tanks Abrams.
One must understand the German indecision. Germans have a deep-rooted sense of historical guilt since World War II, as well as a collective aversion to militarism, and during the Cold War, pacifism also took root.
However, the situation is changing. Indecision on the issue of arms supplies to Ukraine, as the media reported, could be one of the reasons for the resignation of the German Minister of Defense Christine Lambrechtwhich I just replaced Boris Pistoriuswho takes office on January 19 – a day before Ramstein.
There are certain signs that he may be more sympathetic to the idea of supplying Leopards to Ukraine, or at least giving the go-ahead to other European countries to supply these tanks from their own stocks.
It will be necessary to find a place for the Leopard tank in the system of using weapons directly on the battlefield
“(Pistorius) will have to explain to partners whether Berlin will provide German-made Leopard battle tanks. Ukraine or at least will allow others to do it – this decision is seen as the key to Kyiv’s efforts to advance Russian troops,” the Reuters agency notes.
According to German press reports, if the German government decides to supply Leopard-2 tanks to Ukraine in the near future, it will be able to hand over 10 to 15 repaired tanks by the end of 2023.
Poland announced earlier that it can provide Ukraine with a platoon of Leopard tanks, which is about 10-15 tanks. In Davos, Polish representatives reported that Warsaw is ready to give 14 Leopards to Ukraine.
And although Germany does not want to be the first to hand over heavy battle tanks to Ukraine, it is not the first!
The British government has just announced that it will deliver 14 tanks to Ukraine challenger – and four tanks right now, quickly.
“I know that there is concern in the German political authorities that they do not want to act independently. Well, they are not alone,” said the head of the British Ministry of Defense Ben Wallace January 16.
So, at this moment, the numbers are as follows: Britain – 14 tanks, Germany – up to 15 tanks, Poland – 14. In total – more than 40, almost half a hundred tanks. Plus there is Finland and a couple of other unnamed countries that are already ready to transfer the German Leopards to Ukraine.
There is concern in the German authorities that they do not want to act independently. Well, they are not alone
Therefore, according to the expression of one European politician, a “tank coalition” is being built – a pool of European states ready to give Ukrainians tanks. There was even a figure from Poland – we may be talking about 100-120 tanks, which can be collected quite quickly throughout Europe.
Polish president Andrzej Duda said in Davos at the World Economic Forum: “We hope that several partners, allies, will give tanks to Ukraine.”
“We, the EU, will continue to support Ukrainians as long as necessary. Now they urgently need more weapons, and I personally am for the supply of tanks to Ukraine,” said the head of the European Council on January 18. Charles Michel in Brussels.
They are also talking about the possible transfer of French tanks Leclerc. France was the first country that recently announced the transfer of light wheeled tanks to Kyiv AMX-10 RC.nato
Ukraine has been asking the USA for tanks for a long time Abrams. It is assumed that Valery Zaluzhnyi and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States, General Mark Milley.
Until now, the American press wrote that the Abrams tanks are very heavy (the argument was dropped after the decision of Britain to hand over the Challengers), and that the “Abrams” required long training of crews and were difficult to maintain.
But defense columnist Oleg Katkov still insists that the Leopards are a better fit for Ukraine.
“How is Leopard better than Abrams? Because no one dismissed the issue of logistics, and it is the main one in the transfer of such equipment as tanks to Ukraine. Why Leopards are better, because it is a pan-European tank. And where to service it is clear. It is clear that field repairs can be carried out by the Armed Forces, medium repairs are also carried out by Ukrainian specialists in the rear, but factory repairs, which require banal technical documentation, skills, equipment, and banal equipment, can be done in Poland,” – says Katkov.
What makes Leopard better than Abrams? Because no one dismissed the issue of logistics, and it is the main one in the transfer of such equipment as tanks to Ukraine
“That is, for Ukraine from the point of view of logistics and support, the Leopard-2 has an advantage over the Abrams, because the factory repair of the Abrams can be carried out only in the USA,” he adds.
But even after receiving Leopard-2 tanks, Ukrainian tankers and military strategists will have a lot of work ahead of them.
“It will be necessary to create a system of repair and operation, provision. It will be necessary to find a place for this tank in the system of using weapons directly on the battlefield. It will be necessary to develop the most effective and optimal methods of their application. Therefore, there is still a lot of work to be done,” said a Ukrainian military expert in an interview with RFE/RL Konstantin Mashovets.
Therefore, a consensus is emerging more and more that if Germany is not ready to provide Ukraine with Leopard tanks from its own reserves (and here the situation is changing), then it should at least give the go-ahead, as a producer country, to other states that want to join ” tank coalition”.
As one senior American official, who did not wish to be identified, said: “The ball is in Germany’s court.”
