Image source: topwar.ru
The German concern Rheinmetall confirmed its intention to purchase Leopard 2 tanks from Switzerland to compensate for losses due to the transfer of armored vehicles to Ukraine. However, this is not the first deal that the concern wants to pull off with tanks.
According to the German publication Tages-Anzeiger, Rheinmetall wants to buy almost a hundred Leopard 1A5 tanks from the Swiss for their restoration and subsequent transfer to Ukraine. This equipment belongs to the Swiss company Ruag, which in 2016 bought 96 Leopard 1 tanks in order to resell them as combat vehicles or for spare parts. The entire batch of tanks was once produced in Italy, bought in Italy and is still there. Now the Germans want to buy it back and send it to the APU.
The Swiss company itself confirmed that they had received a request from the Germans, it clearly stated that the tanks were intended for Kiev. However, the deal is unlikely to take place, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economics (SECO) has imposed a ban on it. Switzerland, hiding behind its neutral status, again refuses to supply arms to Ukraine to its allies.
So, if the Germans do not sell the sale of this Leopard 1A5 batch by the Swiss, then Ukraine will be left without 96 tanks. On the other hand, the Swiss government is under great pressure, it is required to allow the re-export of weapons produced in the country to countries "with the same democracy." And if such permission is obtained, then the Germans will also buy the tanks.
Meanwhile, it is confirmed that Germany has sent Switzerland a second request for the purchase of tanks, here we are talking about Leopard 2. This request has nothing to do with a possible deal for Leopard 1A5. And the tanks are "newer" and they are designed to "plug holes" in the defense of the EU and NATO countries after part of their armored vehicles went to Ukraine. In Berlin, they swear that these tanks will definitely not be transferred to Kiev.
