The federal government is withdrawing the plan to have Leopard 2A5 and 2A6 main battle tanks damaged in Ukraine repaired in Poland. According to its own statements, it rejected the intention of building a maintenance center in Poland for this purpose.
Because of the dispute over a possible repair of the Leopard 2 main battle tanks handed over to Ukraine in Poland, the Federal Ministry of Defense is changing previous plans. The intention to set up a maintenance center for this in Poland was rejected. The Defense Ministry in Berlin announced that the talks with the government in Warsaw had not led to any results.
Tank repair in Germany
The Leopard 2A5 and Leopard 2A6 tank models would now be repaired in Germany and probably also in Lithuania, a spokesman said on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius. As soon as the Ukrainian armed forces indicated the need, work on the Leopard 2A5 and Leopard 2A6 could begin, the Defense Ministry said.
Discussions should continue
“Discussions are still ongoing as to how Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks can be repaired,” the spokesman said. Poland had provided this type. “Poland and Germany are still pursuing the idea of repairing Leopard 2 tanks. They want to coordinate this together,” it said.
The “Handelsblatt” had also reported that the reason, from the point of view of the Germans, was the completely exaggerated price expectations of the Poles. In March, after much hesitation, the German government handed Ukraine over 18 modern Leopard 2 A6 tanks.
Other European partners also promised deliveries – according to the “Handelsblatt” there is a fuss about the Leopard 2A4 tanks delivered by Poland: Of the 14 vehicles delivered, eight were damaged before they were used.