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BERLIN/DAVOS – The international effort to send modern tanks to Ukraine may hinge on Germany – but it is waiting for the US to make the first move, which isn’t happening.
Ahead of Western defense ministers meeting at the US Ramstein air base in Germany this Friday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been prompted to help Ukraine obtain Germany’s best-in-class Leopard 2 tanks in anticipation of a possible spring offensive being done. Reason: In addition to overseeing his own fleet of Leopard tanks – and Europe’s largest economy – Scholz must accept other countries’ donations of German-built tanks.
One hopes that Germany may soon at least allow collaborators Like Poland and Finland to send their leopards to Kyiv. And officials and diplomats in Berlin say the chancellor may even offer to help Ukraine with the training and maintenance of the leopards.
But this is the farthest Germany is likely to go for now. Unless, of course, America is also willing to send tanks. Scholz hinted at keeping a low profile on the subject on Wednesday when pressed at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“it is us [among] Those are doing the most on military aid to Ukraine, the chancellor said, listing about four minutes of military hardware Berlin has already supplied or will soon send, from air defense systems to Marauder infantry fighting vehicles. for vehicles.
“We are never doing anything alone, but together with others, especially the United States, who are very important in this common task of protecting the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine,” he added.
German officials have reiterated the same point in recent days: Berlin’s decision on the Leopard tanks is linked to the Americans’ desire to send their own M1 Abrams tanks. Yet while President Joe Biden’s administration gears up announcement of A major new US arms package for Ukraine on Friday, aid, is not expected to include US tanks.
This is causing headaches for European leaders such as Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who wants to form a broad coalition of countries that would each supply some Leopards to Ukraine, adding up to a large battlegroup of tanks.
So far, only Finland has raised in public Likely to participate in such a program. Many other countries appear to be backing away as long as mighty Germany remains on the fence.
For example, Spain, which owns more than 200 Leopard 2 tanks, has already said that the question of sending some of those tanks to Ukraine “is not on the table as we speak today,” as the foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares said in Davos on Tuesday. ,
Yet EU diplomats say countries like Spain are unlikely to hold such a line if Berlin – and Washington – change course.
looking for a leader
Pressure on Scholz intensifies after Britain announced Late last week it will send its own Challenger 2 battle tanks to Ukraine. Britain’s Defense Secretary Ben Wallace is calling a meeting with East European and Baltic defense ministers in Estonia on Thursday to step up the pressure on Berlin.
France is also considering sending its own Leclerc tanks to Ukraine to provide Berlin with a joint framework for tank shipments.
“The subject is complex and has not yet been decided in Paris. But we are thinking about it,” a French official told Politico, nodding to an upcoming meeting on Sunday. “We will see what is decided at the joint meeting of the French-German cabinet.”
Western officials fear Ukraine has little time left before Russia launches a new, sweeping offensive against Ukraine, possibly requiring late tank shipments to bolster Kyiv’s defenses.
“For months, Scholz has warned against going it alone with regard to arms deliveries to Ukraine,” said Katja Leikert, a German lawmaker on the foreign affairs committee from the centre-right Christian Democratic Union, the country’s main opposition party. “But now that’s exactly what he’s doing: his hesitation to deliver 2 Leopard tanks to Kyiv to European allies is a dangerous solo action.”
She told Politico: “Germany should take a leading role in the European coalition of states that delivered Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine.
There has also been strong criticism from the Green Party, a junior coalition partner in the government led by Scholz’s Social Democrats. Indirectly pushing to send tanks to Ukraine, Foreign Minister Annalena Bierbock of the Greens said earlier this week that she hoped Friday’s Ramstein meeting “will set out resolution decisions that will allow Ukraine to accept more people.” will help set you free.”
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in Davos that the “main message” of the Ramstein meeting would be to deliver “more advanced support, heavier weapons and more modern weapons”.
Pressure on Germany to do more also came from Strasbourg on Wednesday. European Parliament pass A non-binding resolution urging Scholz to form an international coalition to send Leopard “without further delay”. And European Council President Charles Michel told MEPs: “The time has come. Ukraine needs more military equipment. I strongly support the delivery of the tanks.”
A possible gesture by Scholz to help build a supply chain for training or maintenance of the Leopards raised by officials and diplomats in Berlin on Wednesday may have some relevance, given that the tanks are made in Germany.
“In general, the availability of spare parts and an assured logistical supply are critical to the effectiveness of the main battle tank system, for example, recovery tanks to recover damaged tanks,” said George Loffman, assistant professor in war studies at Warwick. . university.
General Rajmund Andrzejczyk, chief of the General Staff of Poland’s armed forces, told Politico on Wednesday that Ukrainians could be quickly trained to use Western tanks, urging Kyiv’s partners to avoid unnecessary delays.
“This is a turning point in the battle right now,” he said, referring to Russian efforts Soledar and Bakhmut, “So it’s now or never. If we’re not sending, if we’re talking too much, bureaucracy, some delay — it may be too late.
Alexander Ward and Susan Lynch contributed reporting from Davos. Lara Seligman and Paul McCleary contributed reporting from Washington. Christina Gallardo contributed reporting from London. Gregorio Sorgi contributed reporting from Brussels.