A Leopard 2A4 tank from Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) travels on the Black Route of the 3rd Canadian Division Support Base Garrison Wainwright Training Centre in preparation for Exercise MAPLE RESOLVE 21, on April 30, 2021. ( Sailor First Class Camden Scott, Canadian Armed Forces photo via Flickr)
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Canada will be sending four of its Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine, Defence Minister Anita Anand announced on Jan. 26.
“These tanks will allow Ukraine to liberate even more of its territory and defend its people from Russia’s brutal invasion,” Anand said in a press conference.
She defended the low number of tanks being sent, indicating the decision has been made in short order and that the contribution is based on a collective action.
“It’s not just symbolism,” she said.
Anand stressed on the complexity of maintaining the tanks on the battlefield, requiring a steady flow of parts.
“Canada’s contribution is continually being assessed in terms of the ability to get the spare parts necessary to make sure that these tanks can be maintained.”
Canada has currently 82 Leopard 2 tanks in its inventory.
Chief of Defence Staff Wayne Eyre speaking alongside Anand said the tanks being sent have been used for training, but that other countries used them for operations.
Multiple variants of the Leopard 2 exist, and Canada has the main battle tanks variants 2A4, 2A4M, 2A6M, as well as Leopard 2s used by engineers (2AEV) and recovery services (2ARV).
Anand said the version being sent is the 2A4, hence the less advanced model, and that the tanks would be replaced as soon as possible.
Finland and Poland will also be sending the 2A4 variant to Ukraine, Anand said, noting the collective character of the action and requirement for joint logistical support.
Canadian soldiers will also be deployed to train Ukrainians on how to operate the equipment.
The announcement comes after a number of allied and partner countries also said they would be sending tanks, aiming for a military victory against Russia or at least increasing Ukraine’s leverage in eventual peace talks.
The tanks were asked for by Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy and the request was discussed at a meeting of defence ministers at Ramstein Air Base in Germany last week.
The Leopards are German-made and their exportation first needed to be approved by Berlin.
The green light was given on Jan. 25, with Germany also announcing it would send 14 Leopards from its inventory.
Russia’s ambassador in Berlin Sergei Nechayev said the decision on tanks is taking the conflict to a “new level of confrontation,” reported Reuters.
The U.S. also announced the same day it would send 31 M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine.
Canada’s announcement comes shortly after making the decision to send 200 Senator armoured personnel carriers, as well as purchasing an air-defence system for Ukraine.
“The bottom line is that our support continues now and until Ukraine wins,” said Anand.
The current NATO strategy is to escalate the war to gain a position of strength in an eventual negotiated peace agreement.
“Weapons, they are the way to peace,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Jan. 18.