Germany hands over only 6% of its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, could send more, Melnyk says
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Melnyk (Photo:Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Germany has given Ukraine only 6% of its Leopard 2 tanks, or 18 tanks in all, while Ukraine needs many more for its upcoming counter-offensive, Deputy Foreign Minister and former ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk said on Ukrainian national television on April 22.
He said the 6% figure equated to 18 of Germany’s latest A6 version of these main battle tanks.
Germany has a total of 328 such tanks, Melnyk said. He added that Germany had also sent about 600 armoured personnel carriers to Ukraine, but Ukraine needs many more tanks and infantry fighting vehicles for its offensive.
"... They (the Germans) have given to us only 6% of (the tanks) they have,” Melnyk said.
“So why not give us at least 18 more (tanks)? Or better yet, (give us) 50 or 100 tanks? I don't understand why. They could do it...
“The situation is the same with Wiesel (infantry fighting vehicles). Germany has 300 of these vehicles, but we haven't been given any of them. Yet these are what we need for the offensive.”
The Ukraine Defense Contact Group of 54 ally nations has supplied to Ukraine over 230 tanks and over 1,550 armoured vehicles, as well as enough other equipment and munitions to satisfy the needs of over nine new armoured brigades, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said following the 11th meeting of the group on April 21.
Germany announced a new package of military assistance for Ukraine on April 18. It includes Patriot missile launchers with missiles, 16 Zetros trucks and two border guard vehicles.
The list of weapons Berlin has already delivered to Ukraine includes 40 Marder armoured personnel carriers, two Bergepanzer 3 and 15 Bergepanzer 2 armoured recovery vehicles, four Dachs engineering vehicles, two Wisent 1 armoured demining vehicles, 34 Gepard self-propelled artillery systems, 50 Dingo armoured personnel carriers, and other weapons.
The full public list of German military aid to Ukraine can be viewed here.
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