German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Economics Minister Robert Habeck approached Swiss Vice President Viola Amherd to acquire some of the 96 remaining Leopard tanks. Journalists of the Swiss newspaper Blick tell about it.
According to an article published in the Blick newspaper, Berlin has requested the sale of heavy armored vehicles to replenish the reserves of states that sent their own tanks to Ukraine. It is expected that the tanks will be bought by their manufacturer, the German defense concern Rheinmetall.
Receipt of the request was confirmed by the Swiss Ministry of Defense, the journalists write. They added that Bern currently needs 34 of the 96 mothballed Leopard 2s. To sell the remaining combat vehicles, their manufacturer needs permission from the Swiss parliament.
The deliveries of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine were announced by Germany, Denmark, Spain, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Portugal. Subsequently, Denmark and the Netherlands decided that they got excited and said that instead of Leopard 2, they would better help with the repair and delivery of Leopard 1.