The final implementation of the Germany-Slovakia agreement for the delivery of old armor to Ukraine and their replacement with corresponding German ones is delayed – The agreement was announced about two months ago and was a model for a similar agreement with Greece
The agreement was announced about two months ago and was a model for a similar agreement with Greece, announced weeks ago by German Chancellor Olaf Soltz. It predicts that Slovakia would supply Ukraine with old Soviet-made T-72 armor and, in return, receive modern Leopard-type armor from Germany. However, according to the news network N-TV, citing information from the website Business Insider, last week there were problems in the implementation of the agreement, as the German side could not provide more than 15 modern armors to replace the older ones.
In Bratislava, a spokesman for the Slovak Ministry of Defense said that the supply of just 15 Leopard-2A4 armored vehicles “was not a solution, as we needed 30 tanks to form a brigade”. He clarified, however, that talks with Berlin are continuing. Earlier, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said that negotiations with NATO allies on the transfer of older weapons to Kyiv and its replacement by modern German-made weapons were “very well under way”. For his part, Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nant recalled that his country had already provided 154m euros in military aid to neighboring Ukraine.
“Full transparency” in German supplies to Ukraine
From Tuesday, June 21, the chancellery begins to publish details of the supply of military equipment to Ukraine that has already been delivered or “is scheduled to be delivered.” This is an innovative tactic, as until now only MPs or the military had access to this information. But as government spokesman Stephen Hebstraight put it in the regular briefing of political editors and foreign correspondents, Berlin is “adapting to the practices of our close allies, for example the United States.”
The list of supplies that are “under design or implementation” and now available on the federal government website includes heavy weapons such as modern Gepard armor, the Mars missile launcher and anti-radar anti-radar system. Cobra type. Also included are armored personnel carriers, trucks, Stinger-type anti-aircraft missiles, ammunition, medical supplies and more.
DW- Giannis Papadimitriou
