Germany frees the Leopards. But will they change the war?
By Euronews Brussels bureau
At long last, Scholz made up his mind.
After weeks facing political pressure of a staggering magnitude, Germany has agreed to send the state-of-the-art Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and to allow exports by other countries.
While the decision was immediately hailed as a landmark moment and a turning point for the traditionally war-averse country, in reality it was the inevitable denouement of a tremendous public campaign that had put Chancellor Olaf Scholz in an impossibly tight spot.
Poland had threatened to go solo and send the German-made tanks without Berlin’s consent, while Scholz’s own foreign affairs minister appeared to break ranks with him on national television.
“Trust the government, trust me,” Scholz told the Bundestag, after making the decision official. “We will continue not to be swayed by public pressure and loud talk.”
For his part, US Joe Biden announced the delivery of 31 M1 Abrams tanks, although its arrival is not expected in the near term. The UK will send a squadron of 14 Challengers while other European nations have pledged to provide Kyiv with some of their own Leopards.
But will battle tanks shift the war’s trajectory?
“I think this has improved the situation. It definitely depends on the number of the tanks,” former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko told our reporter Sándor Zsíros during a visit to Brussels.
“But if you're talking about the game-changer – it is not anymore. If the supply was happening half a year ago when Russia was weaker than now, definitely, together with the armoured personnel carrier, together with air defence, that would be a game-changer.”
Poroshenko, who was elected president in the aftermath of the 2014 Ukrainian revolution, believes the partial mobilisation ordered by Vladimir Putin has brought additional Russian troops to the front, entrenching the battle lines and making it harder for Ukraine to break through.
That’s why, he said, Ukraine needs more than battle tanks.
“The real game-changer now is the jet fighter. We should immediately launch training programs for Ukrainian pilots and prepare to deliver them to Ukraine,” Poroshenko said.
“We also need attack helicopters and long-range missiles to reach logistic bases and Russian commanding centres. We should receive these now before Russia attempts its great spring offensive.”
Even though survival and victory are still Ukraine’s top priority, joining the NATO alliance remains essential as it would enable a “sustainable security situation in Europe,” Poroshenko said.
“We should change the rhetoric. From the very beginning, the Western partners said that they will help Ukraine to survive. Not anymore. Now, together, we should win. And you understand the difference,” the former president said.
“If Ukraine had become a NATO member in 2008, the war would probably not be taking place right now,” he added.
“Every single citizen of NATO and the European Union is not only being protected by Article 5 of NATO at the moment but they’re being protected by Ukraine’s yellow and blue armed forces.”
GO DEEPER Into the debate about sending battle tanks to Ukraine and the different positions voiced by European countries. We also examine what makes the Leopards so powerful compared to other Western models and the reputational damage of Olaf Scholz’s prolonged hesitation.
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