German defence concern ready to supply 139 Leopard tanks to Ukraine

The German defence concern Rheinmetall has announced that it can supply up to 139 tanks to Ukraine. The company is ready to ship Leopard 2A4 by April–May 2023, 22 tanks of the same model can be repaired and delivered by the end of 2023 - the beginning of 2024.

In addition, the concern may "make 88 more Leopard 1 machines available," a Rheinmetall representative told the editorial association Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.

For several weeks, the supply of German tanks to Ukraine has been discussed. Following a failed attempt to resolve this issue in the "Ramstein" format, discussions were moved to Brussels, to a meeting of EU foreign ministers. Poland has declared its readiness to deliver Leopard 2 to Ukraine, but this is subject to German approval. Germany has not previously provided an unequivocal response regarding its plans in this regard. German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock stated on January 22 that Berlin would not obstruct Warsaw.

According to media reports, Germany was studying the option of supplying Ukraine with 19 Leopard 2A5, which are used only for exercises as an imitation of enemy tanks.