Warsaw will send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced during a visit to western Ukraine on Wednesday, as Western countries move closer to supplying Ukrainian forces with the heavy weaponry they have long asked for.
The Leopard 2 tanks will be handed to Kyiv "as part of coalition-building," the Polish leader stressed, as he promised a "company" of Leopard 2 tanks for Ukraine's forces. A company typically means 14 tanks.
But Berlin, which holds the export license for the German-made main battle tanks, has been reluctant to commit to sending the Leopard 2 tanks. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock skirted around the topic during her visit to the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv earlier this week.
But after France declared it would send AMX-10 RC armored vehicles, known as "light tanks," to Kyiv, pressure increased on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz' government over the Leopard 2 tanks.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has long appealed to NATO countries to supply his forces with tanks and fighter aircraft to repel the Russian invasion, but the U.S. and some of its allies have been reluctant to provide the advanced weaponry fearing it could lead to an escalation of the conflict.
"At the moment, everything is logjammed by German reluctance either to send its own Leopards, or to license any other Leopards to be sent," leading defense and security analyst Professor Michael Clarke told Newsweek on Thursday.
Leopard 2 tanks are often considered in the same breath as the U.K.'s Challenger 2 tanks or the U.S. Army's Abrams tanks. The U.S. has refused to commit to sending Abrams tanks to Ukraine, but announced it will send 50 Bradley Fighting Vehicles in the Defense Department's latest military aid package.
On Monday, it was reported by Britain's Sky News that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was now considering sending 10 Challenger 2 main battle tanks after "a few weeks" of discussions.
The provision of Leopard 2, Challenger II or Abrams tanks would certainly constitute an escalation from NATO countries, but one that is necessary to prevent Ukraine from slowly losing the war, according to Clarke.
What Are Leopard 2 tanks?
The Leopard 2 tanks are what the Ukrainians really need, more than the Challenger 2 and Abrams tanks, Clarke argued.
The main battle tanks have a maximum speed of around 43.5mph and a range of just under 280 miles. Produced by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, the military manufacturer described Leopard 2 tanks as "the ideal combination of protection, mobility, manoeuvrability and fire power."
They have certain key advantages for the Ukrainian armed forces over the likes of the Challenger 2 and Abrams tanks, according to Clarke. More than a dozen countries across Europe use Leopard 2 tanks, meaning "they all take the same ammunition, they all require the same sort of maintenance, [and] there's plenty of them," he said. All in all, he added, "they're a very, very good tank."
"If the Ukrainians had 100 or so Leopard tanks, then you're really talking about a strategically effective force, which would allow Ukraine to take the war to the Russians, instead of just losing slowly, which is what they've been doing. They could take the war to the Russians and start to make a difference," he continued.
Poland's promise of a company of Leopard 2 tanks would be just a "starting number," according to Clarke, but with 100 Leopard 2 tanks, the Ukrainians would have enough for two armored battle groups when combined with the rest of the military equipment, vehicles and air support heading for the front lines.
"But nobody has to give huge numbers," Clarke emphasized, because "there are so many Leopard 2 [tanks] around in Europe, that if everybody gave 20, [then] five or six nations could give the Ukrainians what they need."
Nick Reynolds, research analyst of land warfare at the U.K.'s Royal United Services Institute think tank, told Newsweek on Thursday that even double-digit numbers of Leopard 2 tanks would make some difference on the front lines. But he stressed that proper training, proper maintenance and supplies of spare parts would be crucial in their success on the battlefield.
Nonetheless, even if the Ukrainian armed forces needed at least weeks of training, Leopard 2 tanks would still be among the best of the options, he argued. A key advantage of the Leopard 2 is more standardized ammunition, whereas the supply chain for ammunition or parts would be far more specific with the Challenger 2.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ellie Cook is a Newsweek security and defense reporter based in London, U.K. Her work focuses largely on the Russia-Ukraine ... Read more
