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
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