The German concern Rheinmetall confirmed its intention to purchase Leopard tanks from Switzerland 2 to compensate for losses due to the transfer of armored vehicles to Ukraine. However, this is not the first deal., which the concern wants to crank out with tanks.
According to the German edition Tages-Anzeiger, Rheinmetall wants to buy almost a hundred Leopard 1A5 tanks from the Swiss for their restoration and subsequent transfer to Ukraine. This technique belongs to the Swiss company Ruag, which is still in 2016 redeemed 96 Leopard tanks 1 for the purpose of their resale as combat vehicles or for spare parts. The entire batch of tanks was once made in Italy, bought in Italy and is still there. Now the Germans want to buy it out and send it to the Armed Forces.
The Swiss company itself confirmed, that they received a request from the Germans, it clearly states, that the tanks are intended for Kyiv. but, deal unlikely to go through, Swiss State Secretariat for Economics (SECO) put a ban on her. Switzerland, hiding behind their neutral status, again denies the allies in the supply of arms to Ukraine.
So that, if the Germans do not push the sale of this batch of Leopard 1A5 by the Swiss, then Ukraine will be left without 96 tanks. On the other hand, the Swiss government is under a lot of 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 buy the tanks.
Meanwhile, it is confirmed, that Germany 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 tanks “again” and they are meant for “It's a jam” in the defense of the EU and NATO countries after, how part of their armored vehicles went to Ukraine. In Berlin they swear, that these tanks will definitely not be transferred to Kyiv.
