DR: Denmark may be next in line to supply Leopard II tanks to UkraineDenmark may become the next country to transfer German-made Leopard II tanks to Ukraine, the website of Dr.
However, according to the war correspondent, the delivery of Danish vehicles involves a number of nuances.
Anders DallThe question of whether Denmark should give Ukraine the coveted Leopard tanks or not is fraught with a number of dilemmas, including regarding its own security and obligations to NATO.
The hype did not have time to subside after the transfer of the BMP to Ukraine last week, as it was the turn of new supplies.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed that the British will send their Challenger 2 tanks and artillery systems to Ukraine.
At the same time, the British authorities promised to work to ensure that international partners also strengthen support for Ukraine for its victory.
On Wednesday, Polish President Andrzej Duda said that the country would send Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
The Danish armed forces also have this tank. It is considered one of the best and most modern in the world and has long been on the Ukrainian wish list.
Only the country of origin, Germany, will be able to resist Polish supplies.
However, after yesterday's statement from the UK, Germany will be under strong pressure to give the green light to send "Leopards" to the battlefield in Ukraine and other countries, including Denmark.
Therefore, it is probably only a matter of time how soon the discussion on the supply of Leopards to Ukraine will flare up in our country.
In this regard, the war correspondent DR. Mads Korsager answered four key questions:
Can Danish "Leopards" go to Ukraine?
Only German and then Danish politicians can answer this. Leopards are made in Germany, so only Berlin decides whether Denmark has the right to transfer them to a new owner or not.
If Germany gives the go-ahead, the issue will fall on the table of Defense Minister Jacob Ellemann-Jensen. If other parties consider that Denmark should part with the tanks, then in principle it will only be necessary to give the appropriate order, load them into wagons and send them to Ukraine.
What are the arguments against sending "Leopards"?
The solution involves a number of dilemmas. Among other things, Danish tanks carry a lot of secret equipment, which will have to be dismantled and cleaned before shipping, so that it does not fall into the wrong hands.
In particular, this applies to the army tactical communications network HTK — a military analogue of Google maps, where both the battlefield and "own" equipment are shown in real time.
Denmark has 44 Leopards in total. At first, the equipment suffered from a whole bunch of childhood diseases. However, the tanks have just returned after major repairs and modernization at the manufacturing plant in Germany, so it is not known exactly how many of them are currently ready for battle. It is believed that these are not the problems that cannot be solved by ingenuity and ingenuity, but in the conditions of hostilities, extra stress is unacceptable.
Finally, the question arises about spare parts: will the Ukrainian military be able to set up and repair Leopards from a dozen different countries in time — each with its own differences and peculiarities?
However, Ukrainians gradually dispelled these fears. They are already fighting with a whole "zoo" of donated military equipment — and it seems to be good.
What is the most important argument in favor of the transfer of "Leopards"?
Ukraine needs them more than Denmark itself. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has been trying to make it easier for member states to make decisions over the past week.
In particular, he said that countries need not worry about fulfilling their obligations to the alliance. Assistance to Ukraine is now more important than building up NATO reserves, he assured.
On the battlefield, Ukraine needs tools to break through the Russian positions and liberate occupied territories. And vice versa — to defend against their impending offensive.
In any case, it needs tools to open frozen fronts and accelerate the resolution of the conflict, which will put an end to the huge loss of life on both sides.
The Leopard is one of the most modern and best tanks in the world. And from the very beginning it was designed and built to fight tanks, first of the Soviet bloc, and then of Russia.
And Denmark itself doesn't need them?
Of course, we need them. The Danish armed forces are just in the process of restructuring, and the main goal of the reform is to create a "fighting fist" of four thousand soldiers with the most modern equipment.
To solve this problem, "Leopards" seem to be one of the cornerstones. Among other things, they will be used to train and train new soldiers that the army expects to recruit in the coming years.
But the "fist" has been postponed for the umpteenth time: according to the latest information, all tanks for the new squadron of "Leopards" will be ready only during 2023.
In parallel, the question arises: will the tanks of Denmark itself be useful to protect themselves and their territory? Of course, the more tanks, the better — this is understandable.
Critics will argue that after years of cuts, the gaps in the Danish defense are so large that there is virtually nothing to defend it with.
Therefore, they will say, the simplest and best solution for Danish security is to give tanks to Ukraine, which already gives the Russians a light, so the last thing they are thinking about right now is attacking Denmark.
