Germany okays Leopard 2 tanks for Ukraine; U.S. promises M1 Abrams - The Washington Post

In Europe, the extremity is to rapidly assemble 2 Leopard 2 vessel battalions — equivalent astatine slightest astir 80 tanks — for Ukraine, the German authorities said successful a statement. As a archetypal step, Germany volition supply a institution of 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks from Bundeswehr stocks. Other European allies volition besides supply tanks.

Ukrainian officials are counting connected the Leopard 2s— which are fast, comparatively casual to run and plentiful successful Europe — to assistance their forces summation an vantage connected the battlefield. It is unclear erstwhile the German tanks could beryllium delivered.

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Berlin had agelong resisted calls to nonstop tanks without acting successful tandem with allies, saying that it did not privation to beryllium seen arsenic a nonstop subordinate successful the war, inviting retaliation imaginable from Russia. In caller weeks, German officials had been much explicit successful linking immoderate determination to nonstop tanks to a akin determination by the United States.

But aggravated planetary unit — and an evident reversal of Washington’s presumption connected sending its conflict tanks — appears to person provided impetus.

“We are acting successful a intimately coordinated mode internationally,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said successful the statement.

As shaper of the Leopard 2, 1 of the astir wide utilized tanks successful Europe, Germany held the cardinal to the full bundle the tanks being prepared for transportation to Ukraine due to the fact that Berlin’s support is required for reexport. Poland and a fig of different European members of NATO had indicated they are prepared to nonstop Leopard 2s. Finland, Greece, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey each ain astatine slightest 100 of them.

“The determination to merchandise and present the Leopard 2 was a pugnacious one, but inescapable,” Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, seat of the German parliament’s defence committee tweeted. “It is redeeming quality for the battered and brave Ukraine.”

European allies had hoped to denote a bundle of Leopards astatine at gathering connected Ukraine astatine Ramstein Air Base successful Germany past week. But Berlin’s caller defence curate had said Germany needed much clip to marque a “careful” determination and measure its stocks.

As Germany dragged its feet, Poland, which is readying to nonstop a institution of Leopards, oregon 14 tanks, had threatened to bash truthful with oregon without Berlin’s permission. On Tuesday, Poland formally requested German authorization for reexport, ramping up unit connected Berlin to travel to a decision.

Top nationalist information advisers from Germany, France, Britain and the United States are besides acceptable to conscionable Wednesday successful Washington to sermon Ukraine. Britain has said it would nonstop a tiny fig of its Challenger 2 main conflict tanks.

Agreeing to nonstop the Leopards is simply a large measurement towards Ukraine ending the warfare “by winning it,” said Norbert Röttgen, a parliamentarian with the Christian Democrats and overseas argumentation expert. But it is simply a “catastrophic signal” that Germany rejected European enactment connected tanks without American contribution, helium tweeted.

“Scholz successfully enactment unit connected the Americans with the information that they lone present unneurotic with the USA," helium added. “Washington won’t soon hide that.”

Ukrainian officials and U.S. lawmakers had urged the Biden medication to o.k. adjacent a tiny fig of Abrams tanks, arguing it would supply Berlin with the screen it needed to consciousness comfy sending its ain tanks.

Another U.S. authoritative said the United States was expected to bid astatine slightest 31 Abrams tanks and 8 enactment vehicles nether the plan. They’ll beryllium purchased utilizing wealth from the congressionally provided Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, alternatively than pulled from the U.S. arsenal, arsenic galore different weapons sent to Ukraine person been, the authoritative said, speaking connected the information of anonymity due to the fact that of the sensitivity of the issue.

As precocious arsenic past week, though, elder U.S. officials insisted that the Abrams would beryllium excessively burdensome for the Ukrainian subject to run and maintain.

“I conscionable don’t deliberation we’re determination yet,” Undersecretary of Defense Colin Kahl told reporters past week, aft returning from a sojourn to Kyiv. “The Abrams is simply a precise analyzable portion of equipment. It’s expensive. It’s hard to bid on.”

The summation of much modern tanks into Ukraine’s subject raises questions astir however the United States oregon its allies mightiness bid Ukrainian forces to usage them and incorporated them into battlefield formations with different precocious provided Western equipment.

Polish officials said past week they planned to statesman grooming Ukrainians connected Leopards wrong days.

Another anticipation mightiness beryllium grooming a larger fig of Ukrainian forces astatine the Grafenwoehr Training Area successful Germany’s Bavarian countryside. The U.S. facility, the largest of its benignant successful Europe, began hosting a battalion of much 600 Ukrainian troops this period to larn however to incorporated artillery, infantry warring vehicles, and different Western weapons into “combined-arms” warfare to spell connected the offense. The installation besides is utilized for vessel training.

The Leopard, astatine astir 55 tons, is somewhat smaller than the 65-ton-plus Abrams. The German vessel runs connected ubiquitous diesel fuel, portion the Abrams has a multi-fuel turbine motor that commonly runs connected JP-8 pitchy substance but tin judge different kinds.

Lamothe and DeYoung reported from Washington. Vanessa Guinan-Bank successful Berlin contributed.