Ukraine updates: Germans see arming Ukraine as involvement.
A poll conducted by Germany’s DPA news agency suggests many Germans disapprove of arming Ukraine in its war against Russia. Meanwhile, Russia’s Medvedev denied the country was running out of missiles.
Fifty-one percent of the respondents thought arming Ukraine meant being part of the war, an argument that Russia has been pushing. Meanwhile, 37% disagreed with the statement.
Germany has approved some €2.6 billion ($2.75 billion) worth of weapons and armaments since the start of the war.
Forty percent of those polled considered the amount of weapons support from Germany to be too much, 22% thought it was too little, and 23% thought it was just the right amount.
German of the day: Ein Esel schimpft den anderen Langohr. That means “a donkey scolds the other long-eared.”
In other words, the pot is calling the kettle black.
Germany chides allies for delays in delivering tanks to Ukraine – Defence minister expresses disbelief at slow progress by countries that pressed Berlin for Leopard decision.
Germany’s defence minister has voiced his frustration with European partners who spent months pressuring Berlin to supply tanks to Ukraine but have so far failed to deliver any of the heavy armour themselves.
The Bundeswehr couldn’t threaten its way out of a paper bag, Vlad. But tanks for the backhanded compliment anyway.
Putin says Russia faces German tanks, just like at Stalingrad, but hints that this time Moscow has nukes – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday leveled another veiled nuclear threat in relation to the war in Ukraine as he ripped into Germany for providing battle tanks to Kyiv, while comparing Russia’s unprovoked invasion of its next-door neighbor to the Soviet Union’s fight against the Nazis during World War II.
Remember this decision when we look back from the future (I’m an optimist).
US and Germany ready to send tanks to Ukraine – After months of reluctance, the US and Germany reportedly plan to send tanks to Ukraine, in what Kyiv hopes will be a game-changer on the battlefield.
US President Joe Biden’s administration is expected to announce plans to send at least 30 M1 Abrams tanks.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has also reportedly decided to send at least 14 Leopard 2 tanks. He is set to speak in parliament on Wednesday morning.
Defense? By going on the offensive? Well, if all the other kids are jumping off the bridge… Let us give tanks?
“I think the Ukrainians want to, at some point, launch counteroffensives. And that’s much more effective with heavy armor — as much as you can get. Especially modern systems, which probably have more penetrating power.”
The Leopard can travel up to 44 mph out to a range of 275 miles. It is armed with a 120 mm smoothbore cannon, a 7.62 mm machine gun, and automatic grenade launchers. Additionally, the tank has ballistic and mine protections, and it’s seen operational experience in Kosovo, Syria, and Afghanistan.
So if US-Amerika sends tanks, Mom, I don’t see why I can’t…
Berlin Won’t Allow Exports of German Tanks to Ukraine Unless U.S. Sends Its Own – North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies have over 2,000 German-made Leopard tanks.
Several European governments have said they are ready to send German-made tanks to Ukraine, including Poland, Finland and Denmark, if they get approval from Berlin, though none has made a formal request. Britain has said it would send 14 of its Challenger 2 main battle tanks, an older equivalent to the Leopard.
“One can’t differentiate between direct exports (of German-made tanks) and exports by third countries,” a senior German official said Wednesday.
And defense for free (from Dire Straits, sort of).
Our German Ally: Tanking.
Putin has given any number of reasons (all of them nonsense) to justify Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. One of them was that Russia was “threatened” by NATO’s expansion. That is, to put it mildly, unconvincing. Russia’s grumbling about Ukrainian independence dates back to the Yeltsin era, long before (the special case of the vanished East Germany aside) NATO had expanded to include any countries in the former Soviet bloc.
A more convincing explanation (so far as the Kremlin’s attitude to NATO was concerned) was that Putin had seen the alliance’s weakness and concluded that it would present Moscow with no problems in the event that Russia took back control over its neighbor. An important reason why the Kremlin might have seen things that way was the position of Germany, a supposedly key member of NATO, but one that had a distinctly, uh, nuanced view of what membership of the alliance meant.
One obvious sign of that was the country’s neglect of its armed forces throughout Angela Merkel’s dismal chancellorship.
That means cheetah. Leopards can’t change their spots, of course, but maybe German cheetahs can.
Anti-aircraft tank Gepard of the German Armed Forces during a demonstration. The anti-aircraft tank Gepard, short Flak Panzer Gepard, is armed with two 35mm cannons. The main task is the fight against aircraft. Through the radar on the turret, the Flak Panzer Gepard can independently locate aircraft.
Support for Ukraine.
Germany wants to supply Gepard tanks – The German government now wants to allow the supply of tanks from industry stocks to Ukraine.
The Israeli Ministry of Defense has announced the completion of the first round of Leopard 2 tank-installed TROPHY active protection system live tests.
Observing Hermann 