The German armed forces have a total of 312 Leopard 2 tanks, of which 19 are only a small part. Macron and Scholz will meet in Paris on Sunday.
15:08•Updated 16:14
Chancellor Olaf Scholz is currently visiting Paris for the 60th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty signed as a sign of friendship between Germany and France. The guest will be hosted by the President of France Emmanuel Macron.
The visit is overshadowed by the kind of failure of the Ramstein meeting in Germany this week. Although Ukraine was promised a large amount of arms aid, the allies did not reach an agreement at the meeting on the supply of battle tanks to Ukraine.
Germany does not allow the delivery of its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, even though many Western countries are ready to do so.
Ukraine has repeatedly appealed to its allies for precisely these tanks.
German magazine Der Spiegel (you will switch to another service) has obtained a secret document that shows what kind of Leopard 2 tanks Germany could hand over to Ukraine.
According to the document, there are only 19 tanks that can be handed over, although the German armed forces have 312 Leopard 2 tanks.
The document revealed by Der Spiegel also says that Germany could hand over older 2A5 model Leopards to Ukraine.
According to Der Spiegel, they are used to represent enemy tanks in German military exercises.
In his speech at the beginning of his visit to Paris, Scholz assured that Germany’s support for Ukraine will continue.
– We will also support Ukraine in the future, as long and comprehensively as necessary, Scholz said.
Scholz has been vocally criticized by the German political leadership.
The country’s new defense minister Boris Pistorius has said he believes Germany will soon make a final decision on tanks.
At the meeting, Macron is expected to try to convince Scholz that sending the Leopards to Ukraine is necessary.
A reporter following the meeting in Paris Jari Mäkinen according to France is considering giving its own Leclerc battle tanks to Ukraine, and is thus trying to influence Germany to do the same.
Of course, there is more on the agenda of the meeting in Paris than supporting Ukraine. The leaders are expected to discuss, among other things, energy policy, the European Union and the economy.
According to Mäkinen, relations between Germany and France are not in the best shape.
– Even before the war in Ukraine, Germany made several decisions that affect France, but which were not negotiated with France, he says and adds that it pissed off France.
However, Mäkinen does not expect news about Germany’s tank decision to be heard at today’s meeting.
More on the topic:
Correspondent’s analysis: Germany’s Scholz fears sending Leopards to Ukraine, but pressure is now growing among their own
What if Scholz is right? The German chancellor fears that the war will spread – this is how experts comment