Unleash the Leopards! Ben Wallace launches charm offensive to convince Berlin to greenlight German-made tanks for fighting in Ukraine
- The defense minister will talk to German officials about tanks in Ukraine
- Ben Wallace tries to persuade them to let NATO send Leopard 2s to the front line
- Poland threatened to donate its own leopards without Berlin’s approval
Britain launches a charm offensive to unlock German resistance to sending hundreds of tanks to Ukraine.
Minister of Defence Ben Wallace will meet with German officials tomorrow morning to try to persuade them to leave NATO states are sending Leopard 2s to the front lines of the war against Russia.
Despite great pressure, Berlin has stubbornly refused to let countries using the German-made tanks donate them Kiev.
Not even the UK’s commitment to donate 14 Challenger 2 tanks has convinced the Germans to relent.
German officials will meet Defense Secretary Ben Wallace as he tries to persuade them to let NATO states send Leopard 2s to the front lines of the war against Russia
Fractures appeared in the NATO alliance today as Poland threatened to donate its leopards without Berlin’s approval.
The issue will be at the top of the agenda when defense ministers, including Wallace, meet tomorrow at US military base Ramstein near Kaiserslautern.
Although Germany has donated more than £2 billion in military aid, including highly effective HIMARS missile systems, it has refused to send tanks. It also adheres to licensing agreements that require its approval before German-made tanks can be leased to a third country.
The NATO states have 2,000 Leopards, all using the same ammunition, spare parts and maintenance.
While in Estonia today, Mr Wallace said: ‘We must enable Ukraine to expel Russia. This requires a critical mass of armor’. Pictured: Minister of Defense at Tapa Military Camp, Estonia
Such a deployment scale makes it the most practical option for Ukraine, which says it needs an additional 300 main battle tanks to support its spring offensive. According to military experts, the success or failure of this operation could determine the outcome of the war.
On a visit to the British Challenger crews in Estonia today, Mr Wallace said: ‘We must enable Ukraine to expel Russia. This requires a critical mass of armor.
“Hopefully we’ll get to a place where enough tanks will go in.
‘Last year it was about defending Ukraine, this year about pushing back the Russians. Germany has already placed some very pointy equipment in Ukraine – its HIMARS precision missiles can hit targets from 40 miles away. So there is no shortage of commitment and solidarity. Our delivery of Challenger 2 tanks proves that the glass ceiling can be broken.”
When asked if he was confident in persuading Germany to release the Leopards, he added, “Let’s see what happens at Ramstein.”
The UK will also send a further 600 Brimstone missiles to Ukraine, the Defense Ministry confirmed today. It will also send AS-90 heavy artillery weapons and hundreds of armored vehicles
Today, at least one country submitted a formal request to Berlin for permission to send leopards to Ukraine.
It remained unclear whether this was Poland, but the prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, dropped a possible hint, saying, “Consent is of secondary importance here.”
The UK will also send a further 600 Brimstone missiles to Ukraine, the Defense Ministry confirmed today. It will also send AS-90 heavy artillery weapons and hundreds of armored vehicles.
The latest package includes a further 100,000 artillery rounds and drones worth £20 million. Britain has provided £2.3 billion in military aid.
Speaking today at the Tapa military base near Tallinn in Estonia, Major Mark Lambert dismissed concerns that the Challenger was not the right option for Kiev. The King’s Royal Hussars officer said: ‘It is heavier than the Leopard 2 because it is built to be sturdier and more robust. Proven in battle, it can throw blows and can take punches with its Chobham armor. It is also designed for combat against Russian tanks.’