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War in Ukraine: Germany confirms the shipment of heavy tanks to kyiv and Russia reminds Berlin of the horrors of Nazism

2023-01-25T13:39:33.425Z


A total of 88 devices will be shipped. Repudiation of Moscow and gratitude of the Zelensky government.


After weeks of indecision that increased impatience among Germany's allies, the chancellor, Olaf Scholz, officially announced this Wednesday what the press had already slipped a day before: that his government will

supply Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine

and will approve orders for other countries to do the same.

The Russian reaction was not long in coming.

"The decision of Berlin means the definitive resignation of the Federal Republic of Germany to recognize the

historical responsibility

before our people for the terrible crimes of Nazism during the Great Patriotic War that do not prescribe," said the Russian ambassador to Germany, Sergei Nechaev.

In Ukraine there was gratitude.

"The first step has been taken

. Ukraine needs many 'Leopards,'"

said Andrej Zermak, President Volodimir Zelensky's office chief, through his Telegram account.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz makes the announcement in Parliament.

Photo: AP

Fourteen tanks to start with.


The German executive explained in a statement that he will initially send

a company of Leopard 2 A6 battle tanks,

made up of

14 vehicles

, from his own reserves to Kiev.

The goal is for Berlin and its allies to contribute a total of two battalions, or 88 tanks.

"This decision follows our well-known line of supporting Ukraine to the best of our ability," Scholz said after a meeting of his government in Berlin, after weeks of pressure from Europe and the United States to allow the shipment of these much more powerful armored vehicles. than Russian tanks.

Germany was "acting in close coordination" with its international allies, it added.

The Leopards 2

The Leopard 2, a heavy tank that Ukraine has been demanding from Germany and the Western powers for months, is a world-renowned weapon capable of having a "significant" impact on the battlefield.


The tank combines firepower, mobility and protection.

Designed by the German manufacturer Krauss-Maffei, it was mass-produced from the late 1970s to replace the American

M48 Patton tanks

and then the Leopard 1.

To date,

some 3,500 copies have left

the production chains.

This 60-ton main

battle tank

is equipped with a 120-mm caliber gun.

It is capable of

shooting on the move

and its 1,500 horsepower engine allows it a maximum speed of 70 km/h, with a range of 450 kilometers.

According to its manufacturer, it is also equipped with "integral passive protection",

effective against mines and rocket launchers

.

It also has technological tools that allow it to locate and attack the enemy at a long distance.

The shipment of Abrams tanks, the final push


Germany's long-awaited move came after US officials said a preliminary deal had been reached for Washington to

provide M1 Abrams tanks

to help Kiev push back entrenched Russian forces in its eastern region nearly a year after the start of the war. war.

A Leopard 2 during maneuvers.

Photo: AP

Scholz had insisted that any initiative to supply Ukraine with powerful Leopard 2s should be closely coordinated with Berlin's allies,

most notably the United States

.

By getting Washington to commit some of its tanks, Germany hopes to spread the risk of any Russian response.

Ekkehard Brose, director of the German army's Federal Academy for Security Policy, said including Washington in the decision was crucial to

prevent Europe from facing a

nuclear-armed Russia alone.

The historical significance of the measure


But he also pointed to the deep historical significance of this decision.

"German-made tanks will face Russian tanks in the Ukraine

once again

," he said, adding that this was "not an easy idea" for Germany, which

is taking responsibility for the horrors of World War II.

"German-made tanks will face Russian tanks in Ukraine once again." Photo: AP

"And yet it

is the right decision

," Brose said, arguing that it was up to Western democracies to help Kiev stop Moscow's military campaign.

"A Disastrous Plan"


For his part, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the German and US decision as

"a rather disastrous plan."

"I am convinced that many specialists understand

the absurdity of this idea

," he told reporters on Wednesday.

“Just from the technological aspects, this is a pretty disastrous plan.

The main thing is that this is a completely obvious overestimation of the potential that (the supply of tanks) would add to the armed forces of Ukraine.

It's yet another fallacy, quite deep

,” he added.

Peskov predicted that "these tanks will burn like all the others (...) Except that they are very expensive, and this will fall

on the shoulders of European taxpayers

," he said, trying to generate divisions within the European community.

Members of Scholz's tripartite ruling coalition

celebrated the news

ahead of the official announcement.

"The Leopard is free!"

said German lawmaker Katrin Goering-Eckardt, a leading voice in the Green party.

Two smaller opposition parties criticized the move.

The far-right party Alternative for Germany called the decision

"irresponsible and dangerous"

while The Left, which has historical ties to Moscow, warned of

a possible escalation in the conflict.

The latest polls show that German voters are divided on this issue.

The pressure on Scholz increased this week after he

Poland formally asked

Berlin for its authorization

to send the Leopard 2 that it has in its reserves.

The German government has indicated that it plans to immediately start the training of Ukrainian tank crews in Germany.

The package that is being put together also includes logistics, ammunition and maintenance.

Clarín writing with information from AFP and EFE

ap​


look too

The Pentagon will six-fold the production of artillery for Ukraine

Ukraine faces the challenge of bringing tanks to the front

Source: clarin

All news articles on 2023-01-25

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