Poland asks Germany for permission to donate Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine 1:56
(CNN) --
Germany is preparing to send its prized Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine to help bolster that country's war effort, Der Spiegel reported Tuesday, attributing the information to unnamed sources.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz decided to hand over the battle tanks after "months of debate," according to the exclusive report by the German media outlet.
The German Parliament must debate the controversial issue on the morning of this Wednesday.
The decision to send them would be a historic moment in Western support for Kyiv, coming after several days of pressure on Berlin from some of its NATO partners.
CNN has reached out to the German government for comment but has not received a response.
What are and how do Leopard 2 tanks work and why are they important for Ukraine?
The report comes shortly after US officials revealed Tuesday that the Biden administration is finalizing plans to send US-made tanks to Ukraine.
Germany had signaled to the US last week that it would not send its Leopard tanks unless Washington also agreed to send its own M1 Abrams tanks.
Sending Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine would provide Kyiv forces with a modern and powerful military vehicle ahead of a potential Russian offensive in the spring.
It would also be a blow to the Kremlin, which has seen an escalating drive to equip Ukrainian troops with high-tech combat systems as the war in Russia approaches its first year.
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Germany had resisted increasing pressure from the West to send some of the tanks to the Ukraine.
Indeed, Germany's new Defense Minister Boris Pistorius repeatedly called for more time, insisting that the move would have trade-offs for Berlin.
Warsaw raised the stakes on Tuesday when it formally requested permission to ship its own Leopards, a move Berlin had previously said it would not block.
Poland announces shipment of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
What could it mean for the war?
Several European countries also own some Leopards, and Poland had led an effort to ship them to Ukraine even if Germany didn't join.
But the decision by Scholz and Pistorius was considered crucial because the tanks are German-made and Germany usually controls their export and re-export.
Various high-tech combat systems have been promised to Ukraine since the turn of the year, amid a renewed wave of Western military aid.
The United States secured a massive military assistance package for Ukraine totaling about $2.5 billion worth of weapons last week, including Stryker combat vehicles for the first time, while the United Kingdom and several European Union countries agreed to send tanks.
Pistorius, who took office as Germany's defense minister on Thursday, lived his first days in office dominated by efforts by key allies to join the trend to send Leopards to Ukraine.
Germany, in turn, sought to obtain guarantees that the United States would also send its own tanks.
But the frustration of some leaders came to the fore after a Berlin summit ended last Friday without a deal to send Leopard, with Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki accusing Germany of "wasting time" by failing to arrive. to a decision.
Lloyd Austin and Boris Pistorius met this Thursday.
(Credit: Michael Kappeler/picture-alliance/dpa/AP)
The Leopard 2 tank would be a powerful combat vehicle for the Ukrainian battlefields.
Each tank contains a 120mm smoothbore gun and a 7.62mm machine gun;
It can reach speeds of 70 km/h or 50 km/h when off-road, making maneuverability one of its key features.
And there is comprehensive protection against threats, including improvised explosive devices, mines or anti-tank fire, according to its German manufacturer, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called on the countries to stop arguing over whether to send the tanks.
“We have spoken hundreds of times about the arms shortage.
We cannot rely solely on motivation,” he said during a virtual appearance at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos last week.
In an apparent jab at Germany's stagnation, Zelensky added: “There are moments when there is no need to hesitate.
When people say: I'll give you tanks if someone else does."
Meanwhile, Russia had tried to threaten Germany while it was deliberating.
Asked during a news conference about Moscow's reaction if Berlin approved the tank shipment, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said relations between the two countries "are already at a pretty low point," adding that there is currently "no substantive dialogue with Germany or with other EU members and NATO countries."
“Of course, such deliveries do not bode well for the future of relations.
They will leave an imminent trail,” Peskov said.
Previous military aid, such as the US HIMARS missile system, has been vital in helping Ukraine mount a series of successful counter-offensives in recent months.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen in Kyiv and Inke Kappeler in Berlin contributed reporting. Nadine Schmidt, Niamh Kennedy, Paula Newton, Antonia Mortensen, and Radina Gigova also contributed to this report.
War in UkraineWar Tanks
