German company Rheinmetall says it is ready to supply tanks to Ukraine
The German defense concern Rheinmetall is ready to provide a shipment of used Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine. "The first Leopard 1 can be delivered within six weeks," said Armin Papperger, chairman of the board of directors, in an interview with the newspaper Handelsblatt. To begin deliveries to Ukraine the company will need consent of the German government.
According to Papperger, Rheinmetall can supply up to 50 Leopard 1 tanks from the old stock of the armies of other countries. The status of this equipment is currently being assessed. According to Papperger, deliveries of tanks to Ukraine can be carried out by the Italian subsidiary of Rheinmetall within three months. The head of the German concern noted that Ukrainian militray will need only a few days to learn how to use Leopard 1 tanks.
Ukrainian officials have recently expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that Germany, in their opinion, supplies only limited number of weapons to Ukraine. Calls to intensify military assistance to Ukraine have also been made by members of the German government. On April 11, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that Ukraine needs primarily heavy weapons.