Germany to send Leopard tanks to Kyiv: What it means for Ukraine and the world

Germany is set to send its sought-after Leopard tanks to Kyiv in a move Russia warned could lead to a “global catastrophe”. See why.

The war in Ukraine is about to take a dramatic turn.

Not because it’s been almost one year of fighting, nor because Russia has amassed another wave of troops in advance of a spring offensive.

But because Germany has finally agreed to give Ukraine up to a company or 14 of its Leopard tanks and what they will unleash will either make or break Ukraine’s offensive.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz walks under the cannon of a Leopard 2 main battle tank of the Bundeswehr. Picture: Getty Images

And the move will trigger other countries, notably the US keen to remain in lock step with its NATO ally, to also send its best hardware to the deadlocked Russia-Ukraine frontline that has barely budged in months.

The Leopard is simply the best of its class, a game changer for protection speed and accuracy, and Mr Putin knows it hence amid rising speculation it could enter the fray the Kremlin warned of a “global catastrophe” if such a move of heavy armour was allowed.

The Leopard will herald a serious escalation in the conflict that by proxy is already engulfing the world with Germany also giving some of the other 14 European nations like Poland that wanted to gift its Leopards to Ukraine the green light.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Seen With Leopard 2 Tank. Picture: Getty Images

The US will now almost certainly move to offer Ukraine its Leopard equivalent the M1 Abrams, having already provided the lesser fire power capable Bradley combat vehicle.

The notoriously risk-averse German Chancellor Olaf Scholz under international and domestic pressure reluctantly agreed to send its Leopard, that has been a mainstay of German defences in various forms for decades.

That reluctance had strained relations with allies notably in the US, Poland and the Baltic States but now signalled the West was again thinking and working in unison over the conflict and ramifications if they allow Ukraine to fall.

It was also because of fears of how Moscow would react, the Leopard 2 is powerful not just in firepower, speed and manoeuvrability but also in symbolism.

Poland is already training Ukraine soldiers in using their German-made Leopards, of which 2000 are in the hands of European countries other than Germany, and their entry on the battlefield could come within weeks.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, British military chiefs said the release of a “critical mass of armour” could allow Ukraine troops to break trench warfare defences and push the Russians out of their country. Its effectiveness will depend on how many Ukraine gets but its mere unleashing is a powerful political symbol of an escalation of this conflict one year on.