German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced Tuesday during a surprise visit to the Ukrainian capital Kiev that the country will receive more than a hundred Leopard 1 tanks from several European Union countries.
The Leopard 1 tanks, the older model of these battle tanks, are in addition to the previously announced supply of Leopard 2 tanks. Pistorius has indicated that at least three battalions are estimated to be equipped with these tanks by the first or second quarter of 2024.
The visit, which has allowed the minister to oversee the Ukrainian military’s handling of the weaponry provided by the international community, has been kept secret for security reasons.
«I realize how proud we can be, also Germany. What we are achieving here. After the United States, Germany, together with the United Kingdom, is the biggest supporter of Ukraine,» he stressed.
Thus, he has met with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski and Defense Minister Olexei Reznikov, who has confirmed the arrival of Leopard 2 tanks to the territory. «When Boris took the ministerial post, the tank coalition was born,» has asserted the Ukrainian minister, who has confirmed on his Twitter account that «there will be more Leopard 2 tanks» after the arrival of this first package. «The tank coalition is on the road to victory,» he said.
Shortly after, the German Ministries of Defense and Economy have issued a joint statement confirming to have given the ‘green light’ to the shipment of up to 178 Leopard 1A5 battle tanks, although they have remarked that the final quantity supplied will depend «on the necessary repair work».
«The financing and repair of the tanks, as well as the training of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, is carried out in close coordination with the European partner countries of the Federal Republic of Germany,» the German defense and economic ministries remarked.
KIEV IS GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF «ONE OF THE LEADERS OF THE EU».
President Zelenski and Pistorius held a meeting after which the Ukrainian leader took the opportunity to thank the support of «one of the leaders of the European Union», as well as his «recent decisions», especially at a crucial moment for Ukraine.
«Recent decisions on the tank coalition and the initiative of our European friends in cooperation with our Defense Ministry can really give us not advantages, but parity on the battlefield,» Zelenski said.
At this point, the Ukrainian leader stressed the importance not only of the time when the weapons will be supplied to Ukraine, but also «the quantity and modernity» of such military equipment.
Likewise, Zelenski took the opportunity to fix now the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and to refer again, although without mentioning it, to the demands for Western fighter planes, alluding to the importance of defending the Ukrainian skies.
In addition to Zelenski, Pistorius also met with Vitali Klitschko, mayor of the capital, Kiev, who thanked the German minister for his visit and for Berlin’s commitment to continue providing «arms, economic aid and political support».
«It is important that European partners are determined to make decisions more quickly to provide Ukraine with what is most needed to defeat the Russian aggressor,» Klitschko said through a post on his official Telegram channel, where he attached a photograph with his brother, Volodimir Klitschko, and Pistorius himself.
On February 3, the German government granted an export license for these tanks, as confirmed at the time by the Executive’s spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, after the authorities announced that they would deliver Leopard 2 tanks to Kiev to face the Russian invasion.
The Leopard 1 is the first tank built for the German Armed Forces after World War II. It was produced between the mid-1960s and the mid-1980s, although the Army withdrew its last tanks of this model from service 20 years ago. Despite this, nine countries in the world continue to use it today.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
