Germany, Denmark, Netherlands pledge Ukraine Leopard 1 tanks | AP News
Category: News & Politics
Via: perrie-halpern • last year • 38 commentsBy: FRANK JORDANS and SUSIE BLANN F (AP NEWS)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands announced Tuesday that they plan to provide Ukraine with at least 100 refurbished Leopard 1 battle tanks in the coming months, a pledge that comes as Kyiv anticipates a new Russian offensive around the anniversary of its invasion.
The announcement followed Germany agreeing last month to allow deliveries of the more modern German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
In a joint statement, the defense ministers of Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands said the shipment of the older Leopard 1 tanks was part of an effort "to support Ukraine in their endeavor to withstand Russian aggression."
"(It) will significantly enhance Ukraine's military potential for the restoration of their violated territorial integrity," they said, adding that the delivery would occur "within the coming months" and include logistical support and training.
Ukrainian officials say they expect Russian forces to make a new drive in eastern and southern Ukraine, as the Kremlin strives to secure territory it illegally annexed in late September and where it claims its rule is welcomed.
The anticipated Russian push may seek to recapture territory Moscow lost in a late summer counteroffensive. Battlefield setbacks in Ukraine have embarrassed the Kremlin, and Russian President Vladimir Putin is keen to cement public support for the war.
Some Western military analysts were skeptical, however, of Russia's ability to mount a large new offensive in coming weeks, particularly in time for the Feb. 24 anniversary, that might alter the course of the war. Ukraine and Russia are both still training their new troops and amassing weapons.
News agency dpa quoted Germany's defense minister, Boris Pistorius, as saying during a visit to Kyiv on Tuesday that the first 20-25 Leopard 1 tanks would reach Ukraine this summer.
Pistorius' office said German authorities have authorized the export of up to 178 Leopard 1 A5 tanks to Ukraine, but noted that the actual number sent would depend on the refurbishments required.
The three countries that made the pledge said Belgium has also shown interest in participating in the initiative.
The Leopard 1, manufactured between the mid-1960s and the mid-1980s, was the first battle tank built for West Germany's Bundeswehr. The German military hasn't had any of the tanks since 2003.
Germany last month agreed to send 14 newer Leopard 2 A6 tanks from its military's current stocks. The country's Defense Ministry said Tuesday that the first Leopard 2s could arrive in Ukraine by the end of March. The first Ukrainian soldiers to be trained on the tanks departed for Germany this week.
Several other European countries have equipped their armies with Leopard 2s, and Germany's move following weeks of mounting pressure meant that those nations could also give some of their stocks to Ukraine.
In some of the latest fighting in Ukraine, local authorities reported Tuesday that Russian shelling damaged a hospital and apartment buildings.
The shelling in the northeastern town of Vovchansk caused multiple fires late Monday, including at the two-story municipal hospital, the regional State Emergency Service said in an online statement.
Emergency crews evacuated eight civilians from the site before putting out the blaze, which caused no casualties, authorities said.
Vovchansk is in the Kharkiv region, which was occupied by Russia after its full-scale invasion began on Feb. 24 and subsequently retaken by Ukraine in the course of its counteroffensive.
Russian forces are "regrouping" as they attempt to break Ukrainian lines in five areas in the country's east and northeast, the Ukrainian military reported Tuesday.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said Moscow was focusing its efforts near the towns of Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Novopavlivka in the eastern Donetsk province, as well as Kupiansk in Kharkiv province.
In the Donetsk region, Russian forces also kept up their shelling of Vuhledar, a mining town that has become one of Moscow's key targets, the Ukrainian presidential office said. Five apartment buildings were destroyed in the town, the office said, which had a prewar population of 14,000.
Donetsk province has seen a marked influx of Russian troops in the past few days, according to Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko.
"The transfer of Russian army units goes on day and night. (Russian) shelling intensifies, pressure from the Russians intensifies each day," Kyrylenko said on Ukrainian television.
Russia is also preparing for a major offensive in Luhansk province, which is directly north of Donetsk, Gov. Serhii Haidai said in televised remarks.
The number of Russian attacks in the province increased "dramatically" on Monday and overnight, he said.
"The occupiers are looking for weak points and have brought a lot of equipment and thousands of troops to the front line," Haidai said.
About 60,000 households in Marhanets were left without water after Russian shelling near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant cut the power supply to a local pumping station, authorities reported.
Mykola Lukashuk, who heads the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council, accused Russian forces of firing on towns and villages neighboring the plant, Europe's largest nuclear facility, with heavy artillery and multiple rocket-launchers overnight.
The U.K. Ministry of Defense said in an assessment Tuesday that Russia is "requiring undermanned, inexperienced units to achieve unrealistic objectives due to political and professional pressure."
"Russian leaders will likely continue to demand sweeping advances," it added. "It remains unlikely that Russia can build up the forces needed to substantially affect the outcome of the war within the coming weeks."
Michael Kofman, an American military analyst and director of Russia Studies at the CAN research organization in Arlington, Virginia, tweeted on Monday it was unclear how big an offensive Russia is able to mount.
He added, "but I suspect it may prove underwhelming, focused largely on the Donbas."
Michael Clarke, visiting professor of war studies at King's College London, said he would be "amazed, I mean, truly amazed, if (the Russians) are in any shape to launch a strategic offensive on the 24th."
He acknowledged Moscow has been scaling up its troop deployment in Ukraine and said Russia could also launch local offensives or major air attacks. But he recalled that Russian commanders are still smarting from their failed attempt early in the war to take Kyiv and topple the Ukrainian government.
He said that "military planners in Russia will be aware that when they start this new offensive, they've got to get it right.
"After the fiasco of the first (offensive), it would be better to leave it and go late than go early and make a mess of it again," Clarke told The Associated Press.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian parliament on Tuesday appointed national police chief Ihor Klymenko as the country's new interior minister. Klymenko had served as acting interior minister since the Jan. 18 death of his predecessor, Denys Monastyrskyi, in a helicopter crash on the outskirts of Kyiv..
The Ministry of Internal Affairs controls the police and border forces, National Guard, and emergency response service.
Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, also appointed Vasyl Malyuk to lead Ukraine's main security agency.
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Jordans reported from Berlin. Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.
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When does it stop being a regional special military operation
and start being WWIII?
Its like all 30 nations of NATO plus the USA, Canada, Sweden, Norway and Ukraine
against Russia, North Korea, Syria, Iran and Chechnya.
Even Switzerland's neutrality is being questioned.
The second Putin decides he has nothing left to lose and uses the first tactical nuke in Ukraine to turn the tide permanently; and defies the West to launch a counter strike.
After that it won't be WWIII; it will be the end of the world depending on what the most weak, corrupt, incompetent president ever decides.
I have asked several times before if Ukraine is worth ending the world over; and have received BS responses of "You can't live in your fears" (Mike Tomlin should sue). "We have to stop Russia in Ukraine or they will attack NATO countries" (How anyone can believe Russia is a threat to Europe or any NATO country after their performance in Ukraine is beyond me. Russia is going to need years to rebuild their military and their economy. They are more of a threat to themselves now for a civil war. Always great in a country that has nuclear weapons.). "Ukraine's borders are sacrosanct." (Unlike our own borders.)
Bottom line Brandon with his rhetoric has backed both Russia and Ukraine into corners. Ukraine won't negotiate until Russia withdraws from all territory including Crimea (because Brandon told them they could- no conditions on support); and Russia won't negotiate to give back territory it has annexed. Putin has to come away with something. Crimea was Russia's before they stupidly gave it away in 1954. Guess the Soviet Union leaders then never imagined a time there wouldn't be a USSR; and the move was more for appearances than anything else.
it definitely will be for trumpsters...
If Trump had been reelected, this likely wouldn't be happening. Putin considered Biden to be a push over, which is why he seized the opportunity to attack now. And of course the spineless Biden had no other choice than to respond to the Russian aggression, since the majority of the American people support our taking the proper course of action.
Wonder where he got that idea from, republicans?
Observation of his time as VP and the "red crayon in the sand" boss he worked with.
Putin's cock holster would be shipping troops over to help Russia.
Perhaps, but that hasn't seemed to work out well so far for Putin.
You know what Jim, your right, except that was Obama leading the country, not Biden. Biden support George W. in his invasion of Iraq. It would be foolish to think that a VP would respond the same way as a Pres, and that was Putin's mistake.
That was his boss's choice and 13 years ago. My comment still stands, and as for evidence, I offer up Sarah Sanders' inane doom and gloom 'rebuttal' with apropos 'lighting'.
And wasn't it Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense under Obama, who stated several times that he believed Biden was wrong on every major foreign policy and national security issue for the past four decades?
Indeed, but that should have been a clue that Biden was not Obama.
Except it should also be a clue that Biden is just wrong for the position. I feel he peaked at VP and is not right for the Oval Office.
Saying that Biden was wrong on every position, also means that the republican presidents he supported were also wrong. I don't look at things that way. I look at the situation and then decide. I happen to feel he is correct here and that Obama was wrong. I felt that Obama was wrong when he did it.
You might want to read my article on this, if you think my position has shifted... it didn't.
I didn't think or even mean to imply that your position had shifted. I just believe that Biden is wrong here when it comes to Ukraine. He has been to hesitant in his actions and his talk. IMO we either go into Ukraine or we get out, these timid half measures just don't project any strength or competence. Biden's reactions to the Chinese balloon also shows how wrong he is with national security. He should be raking the military over the coals right now but he isn't. The military stated they first detected the balloon on Sat, Jan 28th as it came over the Aleutian Islands but they didn't notify the White House for four days? Why are heads not rolling because of that? That is a huge failure in national security and as Biden is the Commander in Chief he must take the blame.
As far as Biden was wrong on every position, that's something you should take up with Robert Gates as those are his words and not mine.
We are part of NATO, and Ukraine is not. We have to agree with our other NATO members. We can't get directly involved since that would be perceived as an act of war (which it would be). If Ukraine was part of NATO, that would be a different story. As it stands we are giving them every edge that the Russians never counted on.
As for the Chinese ballon, this was not the first time. It happened even under Trump. Was it a national security problem then?
Does any of this waffling remind anyone of Hitler and Chamberlain?
Did we send troops to England in 1939? No
But we were able to "lend" them everything they needed for defending their nation
as well as others.
Appeasing dictators by allowing them to remap Europe is wrong.
Indeed. We all remember how Trump stood up to North Korea.
oh, wait... Trump was bosom buddies with Kim... and come to think about it, Trump was bosom buddies with Putin, too.
As far as Gates's comment he should look at his own screw-ups starting when he was the deputy director of the CIA during Iran Contra and he followed that up with a few more real fuck ups.
I believe that he was promoting his book when that comment was made.
Do you consider Obama to have done well on foreign affairs?
"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."
Ukraine being part of NATO or not has nothing to do with my opinion. When the neighborhood bully picks a fight you should either get in or not, but pick one and commit to it. Ukraine started with Obama sending blankets and non-weaponized aid to not piss off Russa. Trump comes in and escalates the aid by providing offensive and defensive weapons. Now Biden comes in and for some part continues with what Trump was doing but is doing it again to not piss off Russa. My opinion is that we are either fully involved in Ukraine or we should completely get out. The Ukraine military by itself cannot stand up to Russa due to the years of corruption that country has experienced.
Has there been anything new reported on this? The last I heard, the instances under Trump were actually reports of unidentified arial phenomenon that they reclassified as Chinese balloons without having any real proof that was true. Has this changed? I stated days ago that the DOD needs to come clean and provide evidence or this remains a partisan political issue as a he said/he said problem.
If it did happen under Trump then the military needs to show why they didn't notify the White House for any of it, there should be repercussions and the military needs to change how they work. If the military reclassified those events as a political process that also needs to be brought out as the military should not engage in the political process like that.
In some yes and in some no. IMO he blew it in Syria and Iraq but I think he was right with regards to Cuba and Central and South America. I think he was very good at organizing and sending aid for disasters. But militarily and national security interests, IMO we've had better.
Of course, it does. If we are all in, is the US expected to go it alone with our boys on the frontline? NATO has to want to be all in and they don't. And while I agree with you about the neighborhood bully, as of now the Ukrainians are doing well with the equipment we are giving them. If they stop doing well, we should reevaluate, since no one wants an out of control Russia.
There is this:
Seems that the air force had reported this.
You seem to be misunderstanding my point. IMO Biden is not firm or decisive in how he is handling Ukraine. We should either be all in or just get out. NATO has nothing to do with my opinion because Ukraine is not part of NATO.
So from that article
The DOD needs to come clean on this and present the evidence. This is a report well after the fact, why wasn't the Secretary of Defense and other White House officials notified if this happened? Why is it only in a report written years after the fact? If it really happened then IMO heads at the DOD need to roll. The military is not to make policy yet this report indicates that they are doing so. The military must answer to civilian management, the military is not the entity to make policy.
I can understand your POV. Many American Presidents have treated allies as subordinates. In the long run, that's a bad strategy. I don't know if Biden’s respect for NATO is genuine or strategic, but the result is that the other members of NATO are sending arms to Ukraine.
Biden’s way of doing things has kept this from being an American operation, and that's a good thing.
Yes, Biden was hesitant as were most NATO members with the exception of the NATO countries that were under the Russian yoke for decades. As a side point they told NATO, EU and the US that this is what Putin was going to do, and there was plenty of evidence, EG: Georgia, Chechnya, and of course 2014 in Crimea and eastern Ukraine.
No one expected Ukraine to not only to bloody Russia's nose but in fact break it along with their jaw. No one was willing to dump a ton of money or weapons in a losing cause and most all of NATO expected Russia to overrun Ukraine in a matter of days. Once we and the rest of NATO saw the fight the Ukrainians were giving Russia a piecemeal supply of arms started. The fact that we thought that Ukraine would fold in days and the concerned that Russia would set a red line that no one at first was willing to cross.
As time went on and the courage and fighting ability of Ukraine changed a lot of minds. Russia has proved to be a paper tiger that needs mercenaries (Wagner Group) to fight Ukraine.
The first day of the invasion showed the world right away that things were going really wrong for Russia and it took weeks/months to finally say, Dammit, Ukraine can beat the Russians.
I agree that if we and the rest of NATO had armed Ukraine before the war started we. NATO and Ukraine would not be in the situation that now exists.
A good move and Norway just announced that they will be donating $7.3 billion dollars to Ukraine. Half for humanitarian aid and half for military aid.
Interestingly that Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-appointed leader of Chechnya, said on Monday that Poland is in his sights as the next country that Russia could "denazify and demilitarize" — the excuse Russia gave in justifying its invasion of Ukraine.
I was reading that article this morning. Poland said they were increasing military spending to 4% of GDP and getting some serious missile systems that could reach into Russia. I took most of this to be saber rattling on both sides, but we'll see how this Russian spring offensive goes. I've heard reports of 300,000 to 500,000 Russian troops? I don't know where these troops are coming from, but if recent history is any guide they won't be very well trained or outfitted.
Poland has on order and some have already been delivered, over 300 Abrams tanks, F 35 fighters, and from South Korea, 670 self-propelled howitzers, and 1000 K2 tanks the first tanks arrived in December of 2022.
As of yesterday Poland is purchasing from the US 500 HIMARS systems.
Russia is now threatening Israel.
This was my fear when I heard Iran was supplying killer drones to Russia.
And the 45 M57 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS).
Poland and other ex Russian states have been for years telling NATO that Putin will do exactly what he did in Ukraine.
Poland isn't going to roll over if invaded by Russia and if anything from the weapons they have and those on order and being delivered Russia would get not only a bloody nose but a broken one along with a good portion of their army/airforce being whipped out.
Agreed, Poland is much stronger militarily than Ukraine as well as being a member of NATO so an attack by Russia would invoke Article 5.
Once Article 5 is invoked it becomes an air war. The Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej (Polish Air Force) is no joke. Those people are well trained and continue to train with US Armed Forces.
Currently, Poland has 42 US F-16S, 32 F-35 on order from the US, and 48 Golden Eagles on order from South Korea.
Add to that various trainers, helicopters, air transport, etc and the Polish pilots are training in the US on the F 35s.
Additionally, they have a number of Russian Mig fighter jets.
more importantly, they have 3 generations of poles that want to see a lot of dead russians.
Russia is smaller, economically, than the US, Germany, UK, France, or Canada. Dragging out a proxy war is not an option.
Russia continues to lose Generals, ultra-nationalist, and Russian-appointed mayors of Ukraine towns/cities.
Another Russian general is killed in Ukraine in latest blow to Putin: Elite paratrooper commander who came out of retirement to aid the invasion is killed by Kyiv sabotage team
Putin mercenary who 'waved the skull of a dead Ukrainian' and called for civilians to be murdered DIES after he was shot in the head in mystery attack
RUSSIAN APPOINTED MAYOR OF UKRAINE TOWN KILLED IN A CAR BOMBING.
A BAD DAY FOR RUSSIAN GENERALS, ULTRA NATIONALISTS AND RUSSIAN APPOINTED MAYORS.
Good news