Britain’s defence secretary has called on Germany to release Leopard 2 tanks for Ukraine after he confirmed that the UK would send 14 of its own Challenger 2 tanks, the first time a western nation has given its own heavy armour to Kyiv.
Ben Wallace said the UK would allow Ukrainians to start training with the tanks immediately as part of a fresh package of British military aid, unveiled before a western defence ministers’ conference in Ramstein, Germany, on Friday.
The British minister told the Commons he would “urge my German colleagues” to at least give permission for Poland, Finland and other countries to re-export German-made Leopard 2s in the coming days.
“There’s a debate in Germany at the moment about whether a tank is an offensive weapon or defensive weapon. Well, depends on what you’re using it for. If you’re using it to defend your country, I would wager that it is a defensive weapon system,” Wallace told MPs.
Any decision by Berlin to permit the re-export of Leopards, used by 13 Nato countries, or to give some of its own, would be a decision taken as part of a wider allied effort, Wallace added. “I know there’s been concerns in the German political body that they don’t want to go alone. Well they are not alone,” he said.
Analysts at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) thinktank believe Ukraine needs at least 100 western tanks to help it mount a successful spring offensive against Russia.
Getting to the numbers required would need the help of Berlin. There are over 2,300 Leopard 2 tanks available or in storage in 13 Nato countries, according to the IISS, whereas there are only 227 Challenger 2 tanks in the British entire army.
Poland and Finland, with substantial fleets of the German-made tanks, have both indicated that they are each willing to donate similar numbers to the UK, if they are allowed to by Berlin.
Even so, more nations will be required to come forward to reach the 100 level the IISS said would be required. Some countries, such as Spain, have previously warned that their tanks are in too poor a state of repair to donate.
The British minister also said the UK would aim to train 20,000 Ukrainian soldiers this year, with the help of a range of partner countries, now including Australia. Last year Britain trained 11,000 for Kyiv.
In addition, Britain will donate eight AS90 artillery guns plus 100,000 thousand artillery shells and, Wallace said, “hundreds more” lighter armoured vehicles, some of which may be bought by the UK from other sources and then given to Kyiv.
British troops were told by Gen Sir Patrick Sanders, the chief of general staff, in an internal email that “Ukraine needs our tanks and guns now” and that he was confident the country would put the British kit “to good use”.