1. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says his country will send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine
2. Scholz has told a cabinet meeting that Germany will send 14 Leopard tanks and give permission for other countries to send theirs too
3. The move follows weeks of international pressure from Kyiv and its allies to approve the export of the German-made tanks
4. Public opinion in Germany is divided and Scholz is said to have been insistent that the US jointly sends its M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-german-tanks-435da2221bf452a8aae9d2e58d23acae?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=TopNews&utm_campaign=position_04

“German-made tanks will face off against Russian tanks in Ukraine once more,” he said, adding that this was “not an easy thought” for Germany, which takes its responsibility for the horrors of World War II seriously.

“And yet it is the right decision,” Brose said, arguing that it was up to Western democracies to help Ukraine stop Russia’s military campaign.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described German and U.S. intentions with the tanks as a “a rather disastrous plan.”

I note that the AfD oppose the deployment of German tanks. No surprises there. A leopard doesn't change its spots.

You know you're on the wrong side of history when....

 

Switzerland pivots to allow re-export of weapons to Ukraine

 

https://news.yahoo.com/switzerland-pivots-allow-export-weapons-215100929.html

With Western intervention like this Zelinksy will push to retake Crimea.  Putin will then launch a tactical nuke targeted at the neck of the pennisula to create a fire wall.

 

Germany sending tanks is terrible news and another incremental step toward nuclear escalation.

14 minutes ago, Adumbration said:

With Western intervention like this Zelinksy will push to retake Crimea.  Putin will then launch a tactical nuke targeted at the neck of the pennisula to create a fire wall.

 

Germany sending tanks is terrible news and another incremental step toward nuclear escalation.

Rubbish, Russia will never use nuclear weapons. The West has obviously taken this possibility into account before deciding to send tanks. The tanks will end the war much sooner which is very good thing as it will save more Ukrainian lives. Slava Ukraine!

1 hour ago, Black Ops said:

Scholz

Scholz  =   delay,  delay, delay .......  he's a useless waste of german taxpayers money.

1 minute ago, steven100 said:

Scholz  =   delay,  delay, delay .......  he's a useless waste of german taxpayers money.

What is he delaying now?

23 minutes ago, Adumbration said:

With Western intervention like this Zelinksy will push to retake Crimea.  Putin will then launch a tactical nuke targeted at the neck of the pennisula to create a fire wall.

 

Germany sending tanks is terrible news and another incremental step toward nuclear escalation.

Lets kick the terrorists out of the area's it took when it started the war first shall we? Over 50% of that ground has been re taken by the Ukrainians so far. Much more needs to be done, months of fighting ahead yet to get them out of the remaining areas they took. 

19 minutes ago, Adumbration said:

With Western intervention like this Zelinksy will push to retake Crimea.  Putin will then launch a tactical nuke targeted at the neck of the pennisula to create a fire wall.

 

Germany sending tanks is terrible news and another incremental step toward nuclear escalation.

I beg to differ once Ukraine re takes crimea they will blow that bridge to create a firewall to keep the orcs on the other side hopefully they with advanced tanks will drive down and retake mariopl thereby trapping all the Russians on the Crimean peninsula forcing their evacuation across that bridge or their surrender 

11 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

What is he delaying now?

he delayed sending Tanks to Ukraine ....  then after his weeks of delay he announce a poltry 14 tanks .. big deal  !!!!!!   

he's pathetic   !!    enough said .. imo

I bet he's the first one ducking and weaving if Russia invaded Germany   !!

10 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

Rubbish, Russia will never use nuclear weapons. The West has obviously taken this possibility into account before deciding to send tanks. The tanks will end the war much sooner which is very good thing as it will save more Ukrainian lives. Slava Ukraine!

Ok.  Let's pin your quote. And see how things unfold.

 

For the record my opinion is this.  If Zelinksy (with the backing of Western arms) seeks to retake Crimea, Putin will launch tactical nukes aimed at Armiansk and Peredmistne.

 

I pray that you are in fact correct.

43 minutes ago, Adumbration said:

With Western intervention like this Zelinksy will push to retake Crimea.  Putin will then launch a tactical nuke targeted at the neck of the pennisula to create a fire wall.

 

Germany sending tanks is terrible news and another incremental step toward nuclear escalation.

so what is NATO and the US and the EU suppose to do ......  sit back and do nothing out of fear.

If you want to stop a fight you cut the head off the snake ........    The only terrible news is that Germany is stuffing Ukraine around and sending a measily 14 tanks,  it should be sending 114 to make any difference.

1 minute ago, steven100 said:

If I was Zelensky I would tell Scholz to keep his god damn 14 tanks and park them up his ar_se .....

14 is only the first tranche.

 

Germany said its goal was to “quickly assemble two tank battalions with Leopard 2 tanks for Ukraine. As a first step, Germany will supply a company with 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks from Bundeswehr stocks.

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/25/germany-announces-it-will-send-14-of-its-leopard-2-battle-tanks-to-ukraine.html

https://interactive.guim.co.uk/uploader/embed/2023/01/leopard-tank-numbers-by-country_200123/giv-65623FP4PIaUJ5H8/Leopard-tank-numbers-by-country_200123-inArticle_620.png

9 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

14 is only the first tranche.

 

Germany said its goal was to “quickly assemble two tank battalions with Leopard 2 tanks for Ukraine. As a first step, Germany will supply a company with 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks from Bundeswehr stocks.

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/25/germany-announces-it-will-send-14-of-its-leopard-2-battle-tanks-to-ukraine.html

Germany has about 350 Leopard 2 tanks today, compared to some 4,000 battle main tanks at the height of the Cold War, German military expert Carl Schulze says.

At the same time, it is all but impossible to buy a large amount of Leopard 2 tanks quickly.

Germany's defence industry is banned by law from producing them for stock-keeping. Countries ordering new tanks need to be prepared to wait two to three years for delivery.

Even if production were ramped up, experts say it could take at least two years for the first new tanks to leave the factory.

Just now, steven100 said:

Germany's defence industry is banned by law from producing them for stock-keeping. Countries ordering new tanks need to be prepared to wait two to three years for delivery.

Even if production were ramped up, experts say it could take at least two years for the first new tanks to leave the factory.

This is a prime example of how stupid Germany is ....  so if they were attacked/invaded ... they won't have enough tanks anyway as they imposed a stupid law which forbids stockpiling .....   Pathetic desicision for people in their postion ....  never thought out properly, obviously  !!

5 minutes ago, steven100 said:

Germany has about 350 Leopard 2 tanks today, compared to some 4,000 battle main tanks at the height of the Cold War, German military expert Carl Schulze says.

At the same time, it is all but impossible to buy a large amount of Leopard 2 tanks quickly.

Germany's defence industry is banned by law from producing them for stock-keeping. Countries ordering new tanks need to be prepared to wait two to three years for delivery.

Even if production were ramped up, experts say it could take at least two years for the first new tanks to leave the factory.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1361760/leopard-tank-inventories-in-europe-and-nato/

2 hours ago, ozimoron said:

“German-made tanks will face off against Russian tanks in Ukraine once more,” he said, adding that this was “not an easy thought” for Germany, which takes its responsibility for the horrors of World War II seriously.

“And yet it is the right decision,” Brose said, arguing that it was up to Western democracies to help Ukraine stop Russia’s military campaign.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described German and U.S. intentions with the tanks as a “a rather disastrous plan.”

Disastrous for Russian tank crews for sure.

How times change. Last time Germany sent tanks to Ukraine it was Tigers and Panthers and they were not very welcome.

 

Now its Leopards and Ukraine can't get them quick enough.

 

I have a feline that Russia will not be too happy about this development but this war is not likely to end any time soon. Looks set to drag on and on with a lot more suffering and destruction.

2 hours ago, steven100 said:

Germany has about 350 Leopard 2 tanks today, compared to some 4,000 battle main tanks at the height of the Cold War, German military expert Carl Schulze says.

At the same time, it is all but impossible to buy a large amount of Leopard 2 tanks quickly.

Germany's defence industry is banned by law from producing them for stock-keeping. Countries ordering new tanks need to be prepared to wait two to three years for delivery.

Even if production were ramped up, experts say it could take at least two years for the first new tanks to leave the factory.

What exactly would stop Germany from sending existing battle tanks to Ukraine? You think Ukraine won't accept any tanks except those that are factory fresh?

1 hour ago, Denim said:

How times change. Last time Germany sent tanks to Ukraine it was Tigers and Panthers and they were not very welcome.

 

Now its Leopards and Ukraine can't get them quick enough.

 

I have a feline that Russia will not be too happy about this development but this war is not likely to end any time soon. Looks set to drag on and on with a lot more suffering and destruction.

That's wrong. Western Ukrainians welcomed the Nazis because they kicked out the Russians. The German Leopard tanks will shorten the war which would otherwise have become a war of attrition. Such a drawn out war would test the western resolve. Russia has no answer to the western tanks.

 

"However, the Ukrainian population of western Ukraine, had "little to no loyalty towards the Soviet Union", whose Red Army had seized Ukraine during the Soviet invasion of Poland in September 1939. Nationalists in western Ukraine hoped that their enthusiastic collaboration would enable them to re-establish an independent state.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_collaboration_with_Nazi_Germany

3 hours ago, Adumbration said:

With Western intervention like this Zelinksy will push to retake Crimea.  Putin will then launch a tactical nuke targeted at the neck of the pennisula to create a fire wall.

 

Germany sending tanks is terrible news and another incremental step toward nuclear escalation.

Yes Comrade 

2 hours ago, steven100 said:

he delayed sending Tanks to Ukraine ....  then after his weeks of delay he announce a poltry 14 tanks .. big deal  !!!!!!   

he's pathetic   !!    enough said .. imo

I bet he's the first one ducking and weaving if Russia invaded Germany   !!

What do you know about German politics you don't even live there 

The US is sending 31 tanks to Ukraine.

7 hours ago, steven100 said:

so what is NATO and the US and the EU suppose to do ......  sit back and do nothing out of fear.

If you want to stop a fight you cut the head off the snake ........    The only terrible news is that Germany is stuffing Ukraine around and sending a measily 14 tanks,  it should be sending 114 to make any difference.

Are you a German taxpayer? If not, what right do you have to tell them what to do?

Germany already spends a lot supplying war material to Ukraine.

They have entirely legitimate concerns regarding escalation, as they will likely be among the first to receive a nuke if it comes to that.

4 hours ago, still kicking said:

Yes Comrade 

Personal insults don't help your case.

5 hours ago, Denim said:

How times change. Last time Germany sent tanks to Ukraine it was Tigers and Panthers and they were not very welcome.

 

Now its Leopards and Ukraine can't get them quick enough.

 

I have a feline that Russia will not be too happy about this development but this war is not likely to end any time soon. Looks set to drag on and on with a lot more suffering and destruction.

They are not happy. They have not forgotten the last time German tanks were in the area, nor what they did to the Germans in response.

7 hours ago, steven100 said:

This is a prime example of how stupid Germany is ....  so if they were attacked/invaded ... they won't have enough tanks anyway as they imposed a stupid law which forbids stockpiling .....   Pathetic desicision for people in their postion ....  never thought out properly, obviously  !!

Perhaps you should take a moment to understand why they don't stockpile tanks. It's not just about now.

The saying those that forget history are condemned to repeat it is very valid today with all the armchair warriors rattling their sabres.