Defense ministers discuss tank deliveries at Ukraine Contact Group meeting in Ramstein | DW News

Defense ministers and senior military officers from around the world are weighing how best to support Ukraine, with the provision of powerful battle tanks high on the agenda, in talks at a US air base in western Germany on Friday.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin invited the members of the Ukraine Contact Group to the conference at Ramstein, the largest US air base outside the United States, and urged them to "dig deeper" into their stocks to supply Ukraine with the weapons it needs to repel Russia's invasion. Attendees include Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Resnikov and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg as well as the new German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.

Representatives from states that are not members of NATO are also present, as they were in the past two meetings at Ramstein. Pressure is mounting on Germany to send its Leopard 2 battle tanks to help Ukraine fight off the Russian invasion and to allow its allies to do so as well. Berlin has so far refused to act unilaterally, insisting that it can only do so in concert with its allies, though domestically and abroad calls are growing louder to provide more modern and heavier weapons to Ukraine. However, as the meeting at Ramstein began, a German government spokesman said that the delivery of Leopard tanks for Ukraine was never tied to the United States taking a similar step with their Abrams tanks.

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[richardbayer]

Germany said the following. (It is the classic illustration of moving the goal posts):
1. Germany will send Leopard tanks only if somebody else sends tanks first. Poland and Britain stepped up and said they are happy to send tanks first.
2. Germany will send Leopard tanks if sent only in coalition with other allies. A coalition stepped up and said they will send their Leopard tanks when Germany finally gives OK.
3. Germany will send tanks only if the US first sends the Abrams tank. But Abrams tanks are very heavy in need for logistics, training is immense, fuel for its jet engine is rare, it uses TWICE the fuel compared to the Challenger tank, spares, etc. or they fall apart. Not a good tank for Ukraine.

[Dorr]

Ukrainians have the right to exist! 🇺🇦

[mixisixi]

If the supply of Leopard 2 tanks is dependent on sending the Abrams, the Abrams tanks could be assigned to a defensive role where they could be more easily supported and not in danger of running out of fuel.

[randy]

Poland has stated that it doubts Germany will allow other countries to send Leopard 2 tanks. Poland has now said if that happens, they will send their tanks regardless. Poland has balls!

[TrixiLovesYou]

Germany has made a decision. The decision is to not make a decision. 🤣

[theodoreolson]

As has been said many times already, as expensive as this is the cost of this war is a bargain way to write down a peer enemy. We must support Ukraine.

[RuminatingStoner]

Keep pressing the licensing cowardice by Germany. Thank you for covering this with more appropriate transparency than usual.

[Digmen]

Yes Germany, history will be watching you!

[GalaxyCurse]

Dear Germany. No one is trying to get you to donate your own tanks that you may need yourself to Ukraine. All needed is that you stop blocking others to do it.

[dirtyharry]

Come on Germany ! This is the time to be on the right side of history ❤. So - Tanks !!!
Greets from Ireland🇮🇪

[gorgu]

As usual the UK steps up without hesitation, the only way to deal with a bully is to look them in the eye with confidence and step forward to stop them in their tracks 🇬🇧🇺🇦🇬🇧🇺🇦🇬🇧🇺🇦🇬🇧

[deanbouvier]

Bradley's are the best option imo, considering the majority of their opposition, the maintenance, needs, and I think the Laser painting for Artillery is seriously under-estimated. Send a ton more of Bradley's with supporting Artillery units and high accuracy ammo and the results would be staggering. Abrams have an crazy supply tail and maintenance overhead, and wars are as much won on logistics as anything else, KISS.

[trevortrevortsr]

US have already donated the lions share of kit and the Brits have broke the Tank Taboo - Germanys need to at least let other countries donate their tanks if not their own

[tarmbruster]

I hear the Leopard needs to be “adapted, ” somewhat to Ukrainian geographic conditions. It could take months to refit these. I wonder if Poland and Norway are already readying these tanks for when they get the go signal? Europe in total has approx. 2, 000 Leopards in total. Germany’s argument of being sure they have enough to protect themselves, if anything were to blow up so to speak, is disingenuous. Stop Russia in Ukraine and Germany would have no worries.

[Spitfire_Cowboy]

The best way for Ukraine to negotiate is to have a strong hand at the negotiating table. No land for peace deals this time.

[AplusStrategy]

Ask not what the minimum contribution is, but ask what you can possibly throw into fight now - history is watching you!

[ManFromAsia]

Love and support to Ukraine from China. It's time for Chinese officials to stop being afraid of Russia and send tanks to Ukraine. God bless Ukraine. Thank you America.

[nickm]

0:45 Mad respect to Iloyd Austin. What a speech!

[xy]

I think Scholz really needs to start looking to the future and not be governed by fears of the past. But if it takes Germany being the boogieman again for Europe to come out strong and even more united in its resolve, maybe that's what's needed to happen. In mysterious ways the force works sometimes. No clue. Excellent reporting by DW, as per usual. Great job, very insightful.

[rene]

Give Ukraine all they need now, and end all this madness ... please !