ABC News: 12 countries ready to give about 100 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine once Germany approves
German-made Leopard 2 tank. (Wikimedia)
Twelve countries have agreed to give Ukraine around 100 German-made Leopard 2 tanks after Berlin approves, an unnamed high-ranking Ukrainian official told ABC News.
The agreements were made at the Ramstein defense summit, according to the official cited by ABC News.
On Jan. 20, defense ministers from some 50 countries met at the U.S. Ramstein Air Base in Germany to discuss further support for Ukraine. This was the eighth Ramstein summit since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.
The international meeting came amid Kyiv’s frustration with the long-standing dissent over tanks for Ukraine as the full-scale invasion reached the 11-month mark.
Fighting off pressure from allies, Berlin made no decision to provide the long-anticipated Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine or approve their supply by other countries. As tanks are made in Germany, the country’s approval is needed for their delivery.
Nevertheless, Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said after the summit that it had led to an ”optimistic breakthrough” over the Leopard 2 tanks delivery. Reznikov said countries with Leopard 2 tanks in service agreed to start training courses for Ukrainian tank crews before Berlin made a decision on whether it approves the delivery to Ukraine.
Some countries such as Poland and Finland have already publicly said they are willing to give Ukraine Leopard 2 tanks. According to the official that spoke with ABC News, other countries that are willing to supply Ukraine with tanks include Spain, the Netherlands, and Denmark.
Western tanks, particularly the powerful modern Leopards, are expected to give Ukraine a major equipment advantage over Russia, which relies on old Soviet stock.
