Rheinmetall is ready to supply tanks to Ukraine, including Leopard-1, if the German government agrees. This was announced by Rheinmetall's General Director Armin Papperger in a comment to Handelsblatt.
"The first Leopard 1 can be delivered in six weeks," he said.
Today in the lobby of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg , German Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock stressed Ukrainian needs for more equipment."Now is not the time for excuses, now is the time for creativity and pragmatism," she said.
Leopard-1 is the main German tank, which was used until 2010. In some countries it is still used by ground forces. Germany is currently using an updated model Leopard-2 tank.
Two days ago, German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht mentioned that Germany had reached the limit of weapons’s supply to Ukraine from the Bundeswehr. At the same time, according to Lambrecht, this does not mean Germany cannot do more for Ukraine. The military industry can supply weapons directly to Ukraine indeed.
According to German media, Ukraine also intends to purchase directly Marder infantry fighting vehicles from Rheinmetall.
Initially, Rheinmetall offered the German Armed Forces to immediately transfer to Ukraine combat-capable Marders, then to obtain additional equipment from the manufacturer. However, the German Ministry of Defence opposed it. The department did not assess the condition and the need for BMP inspection and maintenance at the same time.
In late March Rheinmetall appealed to Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht to buy 4 m BMP’s ammunition and to send them to Ukraine, but response was not received, journalists said.
The official Berlin position drew criticism from Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk. The informations’ confirmation about the lack of inspections of equipment by the Ministry of Defence will cause a scandal, said the diplomat BamS. russia's war against Ukraine has been going on for a month and a half, but Berlin is "not in a hurry," noted Melnyk.