Following intense pressure from its allies, Germany appears to be inching toward approving deliveries of high-tech Leopard 2 main battle tanks that Ukraine and its biggest Western backers hope will boost Kyiv's fight against Russian invaders.
For Ukraine's war against Russia, "it is believed that for the Leopard 2 tanks to have any significant effect on the fighting, around 100 tanks would be required," the International Institute for Strategic Studies analysts wrote.
"In this type of conflict, it's just not possible to carry out large-scale offensives without the full variety of armoured combat equipment and armoured vehicles, and tanks are a part of that," he said. In addition to Main Battle Tanks like the Leopard 2, others include infantry fighting vehicles and armoured personnel carriers.
"Imagine a boxer who cannot move freely in the ring, but only in one direction," he said. "The other boxer, who can move in all directions, has a big advantage and that it is the case with the Leopards." With similar numbers of tanks on both sides, Leopards 2 and similar tanks could give Ukraine the upper hand, especially given the poor tactical performance of Russian troops during the war, he said.
"Obviously, Germany is reluctant to trigger any kind of escalation," U.K. defence industry analyst Nicholas Drummond told CBC News. More-hawkish Western allies have been stepping up pressure on Germany, but the U.S. has also refused to send its powerful M1 Abrams tanks.Peter MacKay calls on Trudeau government to send tanks to UkraineFormer minister of national defence Peter MacKay tells Power & Politics he thinks Canada could deliver 14 Leopard 2 tanks in a matter of weeks to Ukraine: "It all depends on how quickly the government and the Department of National Defence want to move."The U.S.
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A look at Leopard 2 tanks that could soon be sent to UkraineFollowing intense pressure from its allies, Germany appears to be inching toward approving deliveries of high-tech Leopard 2 main battle tanks that Ukraine and its biggest Western backers hope will boost Kyiv's fight against Russian invaders.
Read more »