Germany will no longer provide heavy combat vehicles to Ukraine, according to reports from the German newspaper Bild, which cites an internal document from the German Ministry of Defense.
The transfer of such equipment, which included Leopard 2 tanks, Marder infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), and Panzerhaubitze 2000 (PzH 2000) howitzers, has reportedly been completed.
According to Bild, the German Ministry of Defense does not believe Ukraine will be able to conduct a successful counteroffensive in the near future, despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s efforts to continue pushing against Russian forces. This perspective comes at a critical time, as Ukraine’s counteroffensive, which began in the summer of 2023, has faced significant challenges, with progress slower than initially hoped.
Editor’s Note: The BILD article reported solely on heavy vehicles from Bundeswehr stocks.
In the autumn of 2023, Zelenskyy acknowledged the difficulties of the counteroffensive, and Russian officials declared it a failure. The decision from Berlin not to provide additional heavy equipment, including the much-needed Leopard 2 tanks, suggests a shift in Germany’s defense policy toward the Russian war in Ukraine.
While Germany has announced new aid packages for Ukraine, Bild reports that these announcements primarily reflect previously promised deliveries, rather than fresh commitments of military hardware. This revelation may dampen expectations in Kyiv, where officials have continually sought increased military support from Western allies to maintain momentum on the battlefield.
Zelenskyy reportedly asked German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for permission to launch strikes against Russia using Western-supplied weapons and requested assurances for a swift accession to NATO. However, according to the report, Scholz did not provide a direct response to these requests.
The shift in Germany’s stance could have broader implications for NATO’s support to Ukraine.