Germany has decided to send aging Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine as well, after taking the plunge to supply the country with modern Leopard 2 tanks.
The old Leopard 1 tanks come from the company’s warehouse and need to be refurbished before they can be used again. The German government has authorized the export of a few dozen copies, and that’s good news, according to Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren. “We actually have a kind of tank coalition now, which also includes the Netherlands,” he says. “We’re also looking at what can still be acquired commercially.”
Cooperation
According to Ollongren, the existence of a so-called “tank coalition” does not mean that work is being done on forming a European army. “Cooperation between Germany and the Netherlands concerns the army and its integration,” underlined the minister. According to Ollongren, this has been going on for years and is also important, because countries would be stronger together.
That’s why seeking cooperation is also important, he continues. ‘I think even within NATO you will see more and more countries doing this. We are in the same alliance and have the same goal: to succeed in defending NATO territory. So European and regional cooperation is extremely important and makes us stronger.’
Source: BNR
Fernando Dowling is an author and political journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. He has a deep understanding of the political landscape and a passion for analyzing the latest political trends and news.
