On Wednesday, the Russian Embassy in Berlin slammed Germany’s decision to send 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, calling it “extremely dangerous,” saying it “takes the conflict to a new level of confrontation.”
Russian Ambassador’s Comments
In a statement, Russian Ambassador Sergey Nechaev asserted, “We are convinced that Germany, like its closest allies, is not interested in a diplomatic solution to the Ukrainian crisis,” and the “unlimited pumping” of deadly weapons into Ukraine would lead to “permanent escalation.”
Russian propagandists led by Solovyov have warned of a Russia-Germany war and have even levelled nuclear threats at Germany. The Leopard tank deliveries are taking this to new heights https://t.co/vMFkCqJooR
— Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) January 25, 2023
Nechaev further claimed that Berlin’s choice reflects Germany’s refusal “to recognise the historical responsibility” to Russians “for the terrible, timeless crimes of Nazism during the Great Patriotic War,” adding that the tanks would kill not only Russian soldiers, but also the civilian population.
“It destroys the remnants of mutual trust, causes irreparable damage to the already deplorable state of Russian-German relations, and casts doubt on the possibility of their normalisation in the foreseeable future,” Nechaev stressed.
German FM Baerbock’s Remarks
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova quoted German Foreign Minister (FM) Annalena Baerbock’s Tuesday comments about “doing more for Ukraine” instead of playing the blame game because “[European countries] are waging war against Russia, not against each other” as evidence that “a war [was being] planned in advance against Russia.”
German Foreign Minister Baerbock's insistence that Europe is "fighting a war against Russia" is part of a growing mountain of evidence showing that the conflict in Ukraine is a NATO proxy war.
— Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) January 26, 2023
She said this a day before Berlin announced it will send tankshttps://t.co/TBa3bNmhAk
Germany’s Decision
On Wednesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reportedly agreed to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, while allowing other allies, such as Poland, to supply the tanks as well.
“The aim is to quickly assemble two tank battalions with Leopard 2 tanks for Ukraine,” government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit confirmed, adding that the training of Ukrainian troops will “begin quickly” in Germany.
US Sending 31 Abrams Tanks to Ukraine
Germany’s decision came in coordination with the US agreeing to send 31 M1A2 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. However, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said it will take “months to transfer” the tanks to Kyiv, as Washington did not have them “available in excess in our US stocks.”
💬Anatoly #Antonov: If the United States decides to supply tanks, it would be another blatant provocation against the Russian Federation.
— Russian Embassy in USA 🇷🇺 (@RusEmbUSA) January 25, 2023
🔗 Read in full: https://t.co/8mlUiE4bpQ pic.twitter.com/wNIOCF40vS
Ukraine Welcomes “Tank Fist”
In his nightly address on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Germany and the US’ decision to supply tanks to Ukraine, saying, “We must form a tank fist, a fist of freedom whose hits will not let tyranny stand up again.”
Following a massive missile strike on Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, the next day, Zelensky also called for more nations to supply long-range weapons and air defence systems. “This Russian terror requires asymmetrical responses,” he noted, adding, “We need a new movement of our forces at the front” to ensure the defeat of Russia’s ground forces.
The UK's Challenger 2, Germany's Leopard 2 and the US-made Abrams are much better than their Soviet-era counterparts, like the ubiquitous T-72.
— Fuad Alakbarov (@DrAlakbarov) January 26, 2023
They'll provide Ukrainian forces with more protection, speed and accuracy.
A “Failed Plan”
Experts believe that 100 Leopard 2 tanks would make a “significant” difference to Ukrainian forces. However, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the supply of tanks a “failed plan,” claiming, “These tanks burn like all the rest. They are just very expensive.”
Similarly, Head of the Russian Delegation in Vienna on Arms Control Konstantin Gavrilov told the Rossiya-24 TV Channel on Thursday that the potential deliveries of the tanks “won’t change anything on the front line.”
Konstantin Gavrilov said to media, “The more aid to Ukraine increases, the more the special military operation expands”.
— Gurbaksh Singh Chahal (@gchahal) January 26, 2023
Washington announced another package of military aid to Ukraine,
He also warned the West “against encouraging nuclear provocations and blackmail,” claiming that the Leopard 2 tanks are “armed with armour-piercing projectiles with uranium warheads,” which would be considered as “dirty bombs.”