Ukraine expects to receive about 100 Leopard tanks from 12 countries - ABC New

A senior Ukrainian official told ABC News in a commentary.

According to the source, these agreements were reached on Friday at a summit at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany, when allied countries discussed military support for Ukraine.

Countries such as Poland and Finland have already publicly stated that they are ready to provide Ukraine with some of their Leopard 2 tanks.

A Ukrainian official said that Spain, the Netherlands, and Denmark are also ready to provide some of their tanks, but that Germany's consent is still needed for the coalition to continue considering the issue.

As a country where military equipment is produced, Germany has to approve an export license if countries want to supply some of their tanks to third countries such as Ukraine.

During a briefing last week, a Western diplomat called it "the right time" to provide Ukraine with new capabilities, such as tanks.

A senior Ukrainian official, speaking to ABC News on condition of anonymity, said that the German-made Leopard tanks are also urgently needed by Ukraine as its stockpile of ammunition for Soviet-era tanks is "running low."

• During the eighth meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Ramstein on January 20, the provision of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine was not agreed upon.

• Ukraine has agreed to train its tank crews on German Leopard 2 and British Challenger 2 tanks, which will begin soon.

• On January 22, it became known that the United Kingdom was in favor of an international agreement to provide Ukraine with German tanks.

• As of January 22, it was reported that Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that Warsaw was open to forming a coalition with countries that were willing to give Ukraine some of their Leopard 2s without Germany's participation if Berlin did not agree to provide Ukraine with these tanks.

• On January 23, the Polish Foreign Ministry announced that it would send Germany an official request for permission to transfer Leopard tanks to Ukraine in the coming days.

• The German military-industrial concern Rheinmetall is ready to transfer 139 Leopard tanks to Ukraine as soon as the government gives permission.