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Federal Defense Minister Pistorius has arrived in Kyiv for a surprise visit

2023-02-07T17:02:01.436Z


Defense Minister Boris Pistorius spontaneously traveled to Kyiv. At a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Reznikov, the German posed with a miniature Leopard 2 main battle tank.


Enlarge image

Pistorius in Kyiv in front of destroyed Russian tanks

Photo: Kay Nietfeld / dpa

Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) traveled to Kyiv without prior public notice.

According to a spokesman for the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Pistorius met the Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov in Kyiv on Tuesday.

Reznikov posted a photo on Twitter showing him with Pistorius and a model tank, and wrote, "The 'first' Leopard-2 has arrived in Kyiv."

"The armored coalition marches on...to victory," Reznikov continued.

According to the dpa news agency in Kyiv, Pistorius announced that Ukraine was to receive more than 100 older Leopard 1A5 main battle tanks from a group of several European countries.

At least three battalions should be equipped with it by the first or second quarter of 2024.

Spare parts and ammunition are also to be supplied for the tanks.

In addition, the training of 600 sergeants has begun.

Pistorius thus partially confirmed a SPIEGEL report according to which the German government intends to deliver significantly more Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine than previously known.

Accordingly, earlier this week the Federal Security Council approved the export of a total of 178 Leopard 1 main battle tanks to Ukraine.

"I pay you my greatest admiration"

With the Leopard 1 delivery, he connects "the wish and the great hope that this contribution can also help Ukraine remain defensible and withstand the attack," said Pistorius.

The will of the Ukrainian people to defend their homeland is unbroken.

"I have my greatest admiration for that." Pistorius emphasized that there should be no doubt that Germany and the other partners in Europe and beyond "will continue to stand firmly by Ukraine's side in the future and we will continue to support them everything that is necessary."

The Leopard 1 is the first main battle tank built for the German Army after World War II.

4700 examples were produced from 1965 to the mid-1980s.

The Bundeswehr retired its last Leopard 1 20 years ago.

Pistorius' visit to Kyiv was the first major trip abroad by the defense minister, who was sworn in almost three weeks ago.

For security reasons, the whereabouts were initially kept secret.

In addition to his counterpart Resnikov, Pistorius also met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

fek/dpa/AFP

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2023-02-07

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