Ukraine’s backers in the West are gathering in Germany to agree on what the next military aid package should look like. Modern tanks are on the wish list.
With such, the Ukrainian forces can begin a new phase in the defense effort.
The main request – and what is at the top of the agenda when the country’s allies gather for discussions in Germany – are tanks of the German Leopard 2 model.
– It is a slightly more qualified tank that would be a big advantage for the Ukrainians. It is simply more modern, says Magnus Christiansson, lecturer at the Norwegian Defense University to TT.
However, it is up to Germany whether the German-made vehicles can be sent there and there has been some reluctance there. It has also been said that many Leopard 2s need to be modified and upgraded, which takes time.
Until now, Ukraine has used Soviet and obsolete main battle tanks, mainly of the T-72 model. It is the most used tank in the world, as it was produced in around 25,000 copies in the former Eastern Bloc.
In the player above: TV4 Nyheterna’s Jona Källgren reports from Berlin.