Germany finally approved the delivery of Leopard 2 main tanks to Ukraine today.

(AFP)

(Central News Agency) After weeks of pressure from the Ukrainian government and many allies, Germany today approved the delivery of the Leopard 2 main tank to Ukraine.

Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said Berlin would initially supply 14 vehicles from the Bundeswehr's stockpile.

Agence France-Presse and Reuters reported that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government has come under increasing pressure in recent weeks to send tanks to Ukraine and allow other NATO allies to do the same. Do.

A new offensive between Russia and Ukraine is expected in the spring, which could help reverse the course of the war.

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Authorities in Kyiv believe heavy weapons are essential to repel the Russian invasion, but Moscow criticized the move as an unnecessary provocation.

The Shots government has held off on making a decision, fearing that such a move could prompt Russia to escalate the situation or draw NATO into the conflict.

Germany's latest decision helps pave the way for Poland, Spain, Norway and other countries to supply stockpiled Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

"This decision follows our well-known line of doing what we can to support Ukraine," Shots said in a statement.

The statement stated that the goal is to quickly establish two tank battalions for Ukraine using Leopard 2 tanks.

The statement also mentioned that Germany will provide 14 Leopard 2 combat vehicles from the military inventory in the first step.

The statement stated that Germany will soon start training Ukrainian soldiers at home and will provide logistics and ammunition; Germany will also issue appropriate transfer licenses to partner countries that want to quickly transport stock Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

According to the German military arms control rules, if a country that purchases German-made weapons wants to resell or transfer them to a third country, it must obtain permission from Germany.

Regarded as one of the world's top main battle tanks, the Leopard 2 has been used by the German army for decades, as well as by the armies of a dozen other European countries and by national militaries as far away as Canada and Indonesia. Now in conflicts in Afghanistan, Kosovo and Syria.

Several military experts said that the main advantage of Leopard 2 is that it can be shipped to Ukraine in large quantities, and maintenance and logistics are relatively easy.