The federal government has decided to supply Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine.

This was confirmed to the FAZ on Tuesday evening.

The delivery involves at least one company of Leopard 2A6 tanks.

The federal government will also grant permission to export such tanks that are owned by other countries such as Poland.

The chairwoman of the defense committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), welcomed the decision to supply main battle tanks to Ukraine.

"The decision was tough, it took far too long, but in the end it's inevitable.

The fact that Germany is allowing partner countries to deliver its Leopard 2 tank and is also delivering it itself is relieving news for the battered and brave Ukrainian people," Strack-Zimmermann told dpa.

The security policy spokeswoman for the Greens parliamentary group, Sara Nanni, wrote on Twitter of a “good decision”.

The Vice President of the German Bundestag, Katrin Göring-Eckardt (Greens), wrote on Twitter: "The Leopard's freed!"

She added:

The chairman of the Europe Committee in the Bundestag, Anton Hofreiter (Greens), told the editorial network Germany (RND): "Of course it would have been better to make the decision faster, especially for Germany's reputation in Europe.

But better late than never.” Hofreiter added that Russian President Vladimir Putin still believes he can win his war of aggression against the neighboring country.

"We have to make it clear to him that this is not going to happen."

Response to Polish initiative

The CDU chairman Friedrich Merz welcomed the federal government's decision to deliver Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine, but at the same time accused Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) of hesitation.

"The decision is correct," said the opposition leader on Tuesday evening at the German Press Agency in Berlin.

At the same time, Merz criticized the fact that if the Chancellor had announced such a decision together with the French President (Emmanuel Macron) at the Franco-German Council of Ministers on Sunday at the 60th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty in Paris, then this would have been joint political leadership.

So the image of a driven person who has hesitated too long remains.”

The foreign expert of the Union faction in the Bundestag, Jürgen Hardt (CDU), called for a rapid training of Ukrainian soldiers on the weapon system.

“The federal government's decision to supply Leopard tanks to Ukraine was overdue.

It is to be hoped that it will not be too late," said the foreign policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group of the German Press Agency.

"Now the traffic light government must ensure that Ukrainian soldiers are trained quickly."

The Bundeswehr reservists welcome the planned delivery – and urge them to hurry.

"It's a good thing that Germany is now supplying Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine itself and also allowing them to be supplied by other countries.

Nothing else was to be expected," said association president Patrick Sensburg of the "Rheinische Post".

“But I am concerned that the deliveries will take several months.

However, Ukraine must be supported very quickly, as Russia apparently wants to forestall the deliveries with an offensive in February.”