Breaking Defense
February 17, 2023

First German Leopard 2 tank deploying to Ukraine ‘very soon,’ but who will be next?
The breakthrough on heavy weaponry marked a pivotal moment in strategic thinking by Western decisionmakers, previously concerned that more modern main battle tanks than the Soviet-era T-72, operated by Ukraine, could lead to an escalation of the war

Germany’s gift of 14 Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks to Ukraine will deploy “very soon,” less than a month after the Berlin government finally approved the donation. And now, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Friday, it’s time for other nations to step up and send their own tanks as quickly as possible.

[T]oday, Scholz indicated that commitment from other Leopard suppliers appears to have wavered considerably since then, with the German leader telling the Munich Security Conference that “all those who can supply battle tanks of this kind should now actually do so.”

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Around 80 of the tanks, or two battalions, were originally planned for delivery to Ukraine when Scholz made the approval decision….

Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister Mariusz Blaszczak also said in a social media post this week that the international coalition are “working to ensure” Finland joins the effort. Similarly, Sweden has not said how many Leopard tanks it will send, despite previously declaring a willingness to do so.

Norway announced Tuesday it will gift eight of the vehicles alongside four “special purpose tanks” while Canada has agreed to send four units. Spain is reported to be offering between four to six platforms.