With growing fears Russia could mount a new offensive in the coming months, Germany has “fallen short” in its pledge to supply Ukraine with Leopard tanks.
Germany has been facing criticism from its allies for failing to provide Ukraine with the much-needed tanks it needs to bolster its fighting capacity in the ongoing conflict.
The country’s new government had asked for state-of-the-art battle tanks, such as Germany’s Leopard 2 tanks, to help protect their borders and fight against Russian aggression. However, a key meeting of Western allies in Germany ended without any agreement on sending tanks to Ukraine.
This reluctance is rooted in Germany’s anti-militarism position adopted after World War II and its fear of provoking Russia. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has also refused to give tanks to Ukraine without a similar pledge from the U.S., leaving him isolated among his European counterparts.
The U.S., however, is not keen on supplying Ukraine with tanks either due to concerns about escalating tensions between Russia and the West. This has left Ukraine increasingly frustrated as it continues to face Russian aggression without adequate support from its Western allies.
Despite this, there is still hope that Germany may eventually agree to send Leopard 2 tanks or allow other countries to donate theirs. In the meantime, Ukraine will have to continue relying on its own forces for protection against Russian aggression until more decisive action is taken by Germany and other Western countries.
