Germany’s defence ministry has mentioned that it has delivered 18 Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

Rotterdam, Netherlands:

Germany has delivered promised Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz mentioned on Monday, offering Kyiv with much-needed heavy weaponry towards Russia.

The supply of what Scholz mentioned had been “very modern” German-made battle tanks comes some two months after Berlin lastly gave the inexperienced gentle for them to be despatched.

Ukraine has appealed to its western allies to make good on their pledges of heavy arms to push again Russian forces, forward of a attainable spring counter-offensive by Kyiv.

“Yes, we delivered Leopard tanks as we announced,” Scholz informed a press convention with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in Rotterdam when requested to verify a report in information outlet Spiegel.

“We’re providing very modern (tanks) which we have now delivered.”

The Spiegel report mentioned Berlin had delivered 18 of the superior Leopards, with the final of the tanks having left Germany on the finish of final week, earlier than being handed over to Ukraine on the border.

Germany’s defence ministry later confirmed the 18 Leopard deliveries, together with two armoured “Buffel” tank restoration automobiles.

About 40 Marder infantry preventing automobiles have additionally arrived in Ukraine, it mentioned.

“Our tanks have made it into the hands of our Ukrainian friends as promised and on time,” German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius mentioned in a press release.

“I’m sure they can make a difference on the ground.”

Berlin was retaining the route of the deliveries secret for safety causes, Spiegel mentioned.

– ‘Dangerous’ –

Ukrainian troopers had been skilled on the 2A6s, essentially the most superior of the Leopard fashions, on German army bases. They have additionally skilled at Spanish bases.

At the tip of January, Berlin lastly gave the inexperienced gentle for Leopards — among the many world’s most superior tanks and utilized by militaries throughout Europe — to be despatched to Ukraine.

The US mentioned on the identical time it might ship superior American Abrams tanks.

Under German regulation, any nation eager to ship the tanks to a different nation should first get approval from Berlin.

Scholz’s authorities initially mentioned it was aiming to assemble, together with allies, two battalions of tanks for Kyiv — about 60 tanks in whole.

But they’ve since struggled to get the numbers collectively.

The German and Dutch cupboards held a particular joint session within the port metropolis of Rotterdam on Monday on the enormous, mirrored depot of the Boijmans Van Beuningen artwork museum.

Scholz and Rutte mentioned they’d mentioned army assist for Ukraine and their “unique” army cooperation, which entails Germany and the Netherlands merging some armed items.

“The European message remains completely clear, even after more than a year: we support Ukraine in all areas and we will do so as long as it is necessary,” Rutte mentioned.

The Dutch premier additionally condemned current Russian statements, together with former president Dmitry Medvedev speaking about concentrating on the International Criminal Court in The Hague with a hypersonic missile.

The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian Vladimir Putin over allegations of battle crimes earlier this month.

“We find these type of statements irresponsible and dangerous,” Rutte mentioned.

“That also goes for the threat to put nuclear weapons in Belarus,” he mentioned, referring to plans introduced by Putin to deploy tactical atomic bombs in Russia’s ally Belarus.

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