The Leopard 2 is a German-manufactured main battle tank with a range of about 500km (311 miles). The widespread availability of Leopards – including in neighbouring Poland, which wants to supply them to Ukraine – makes them a good fit for Kyiv. Ukraine has suggested it needs 300 tanks, while western analysts have suggested that 100 could probably shift the balance of the war. Although Germany has supplied a large amount of equipment to Ukraine, including armoured cars, it has also been wrestling with its post-second world war tradition of anti-militarism. The supply of main battle tanks had been seen as problematic because of their much more obviously offensive capabilities.

Source: The Guardian January 21, 2023 16:48 UTC