Germany must give its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukrainian forces to fight against Russia, a former NATO commander told Newsweek.
Former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (2011-2014) Sir Richard Shirreff said that the key issue at a United States-led meeting of Kyiv's allies on Friday at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany will be on the provision of western tanks to fend off a Russian onslaught and launch counter-offensives.
Poland and Finland are among the countries that have these German-made tanks and are willing to give them to Kyiv, which relies on far less advanced Soviet-era variants, primarily the T-72.
However, the re-export of Leopard 2s requires German government approval which so far, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been reluctant to do, saying Western tanks should only be supplied with an agreement among Kyiv's main allies, in particular the U.S.
"While the Germans agonize, this agonizing quite frankly has gone on long enough and the Germans have just got to get a grip and give Leopard 2 the green light," Shirreff told Newsweek.
"It's very simple. If the Ukrainians don't get the offensive capabilities they need, they will not achieve their military objectives and that will give Russia the chance to come back with a counteroffensive," he said. "There are plenty of signs of that happening now."
Germany has been a significant donor of military aid to Ukraine but along with other western countries, is trying to tread the line of not taking a more direct role in the war, amid warnings from Moscow that supplying arms to Ukraine risks an escalation.
Shirreff, who said in September that NATO was not prepared for "the worst-case scenario" of war with Russia, believes that Ukraine's allies have "continued to withhold the really vital offensive capabilities that Ukraine needs," which, as well as tanks, includes armored infantry fighting vehicles.
"To be fair, of course, HIMARS has made a hell of a difference and once the Patriot (missile system) comes online, that will make a hell of a difference," he said.
"But I think the real crunch point, the key decision to be made at Ramstein, is tanks," added Shirreff.
The Leopard 2 is used by 13 European armies and has a sophisticated fire control system capable of automatic target detection and tracking.
Its crews also have a much higher chance of surviving a hit than the T-72 and it also has a longer firing range than many other tanks, according to Military Today which listed it as one of the top 10 tanks in the world.
Gustav Gressel, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), told Newsweek that there are abundant spare Leopard 2s in stock that could be delivered after a relatively short overhaul.
Most spare parts are interchangeable throughout all versions of the tank which increases flexibility in managing spare parts and maintenance. This would provide "an unparalleled advantage for Ukraine's logistics strained by war," he said.
There had been reports this week that Berlin was softening its stance, with a government source telling Reuters that it would send German-made tanks to Ukraine if the U.S. did likewise.
The arms pledging conference in Ramstein will see Germany's new defense minister Boris Pistorius meet defense leaders from around 50 countries after he succeeded Christine Lambrecht, who quit on Monday.
Newsweek reached out to the German foreign ministry for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. His focus is Russia and Ukraine, in particular ... Read more
