United to win: Germany and allies to provide Ukraine with 77 Leopard tanks and 12 howitzers
Germany is set to deliver an additional 12 Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers to Ukraine and, in collaboration with other partners, provide 77 Leopard 1A5 tanks to Ukraine's armed forces.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated this, according to Spiegel and Tagesschau.
Today, on September 6, Pistorius announced the provision of equipment during the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in the Ramstein format.
He said that Germany plans to transfer twelve Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers to Ukraine for 150 million euros:
- the first six will be sent this year,
- and the remaining six will be delivered in 2025.
Furthermore, Pistorius announced that Germany and other European allies are preparing to transfer 77 Leopard 1A5 main battle tanks to the Ukrainian military.
The Minister of Defense noted that the Allies "want to do this as soon as possible."
Leopard 1A5 tanks will be delivered to Ukraine by Germany in cooperation with Denmark and the Netherlands.
For reference:
Today, September 6, the 24th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group is taking place at the Ramstein military base in Germany. Over 50 defense ministers from various countries are in attendance, with the group being led by the head of the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is also present at Ramstein this time. According to Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's priorities are air defense systems, missiles, ammunition, equipment, and strengthening of long-range capabilities.
"We need the determination of our partners and the means to stop Russian aerial terror. We need all the weapons from the already announced support packages to get to the combat brigades finally. And we need strong long-range solutions from our partners to bring the just peace we seek closer," Zelensky said.
After the Ramstein meeting, the President of Ukraine will visit the international economic forum "Ambrosetti" in Italy. There, he will meet with representatives of Italian business and the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni.
It's important to mention that Germany does not prohibit the deployment of its weapons on Russian territory. Once Kyiv acquires Western weapons, they are recognized as being Ukrainian. This principle also extends to German Leopard 2 tanks.