Weapons for Ukraine
Lambrecht spoke to Spain about supplying tanks
Christine Lambrecht in conversation with Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the NATO summit in Madrid. Photo: Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Madrid is considering supplying German Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine. However, Germany would have to agree. There have been talks, but apparently not yet an application.
According to sources, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) spoke on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Madrid about a politically sensitive delivery of Leopard main battle tanks from Spain to Ukraine.
The considerations previously reported by the media were the subject of a meeting between Lambrecht and her counterpart Margarita Robles, as the German Press Agency explained on Thursday. It has become clear that there is still no decision on the Spanish side.
In an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, Lambrecht was asked about reports that Germany had vetoed a large shipment of military equipment from Spain to Ukraine. Lambrecht said: “I am aware of the press reports, but not a request from the Spanish government.”
According to Spanish reports, the government in Madrid is considering supplying German Leopard 2 A4 main battle tanks and anti-aircraft missiles. The newspaper wrote in early June that these were mothballed tanks that first had to be prepared for use. According to the report, around 40 out of 108 Leopard tanks that Spain bought second-hand in Germany in 1995 could be made operational again. Germany would first have to agree to a transfer.