Russia - threadbanned users in OP

There was no visual evidence then as now. A claim from Ukrainian defence official then, and a claim from UK minister for defence this time. All the images doing the rounds were debunked, they were years old. No other proof came out IIRC

Seems that the German government are under HUGE pressure in relenting in giving permission to send their tanks to Ukraine.

Seems every country in NATO is backing the Germans into a corner and the mood music is that they are going to relent.

If or when it comes to pass, and if Ukraine can get 300 or so leopard 2's into their ranks with men trained up to use them, it could be very decisive in the outcome of the war.

Any additional info to that? Been watching all for some of the Eastern countries to declare they're going for it ASAP.

Rammstein?

"Dicke Titten" is right

I don't it would help too much though. Might cheer up the poor soldiers but that's about it.

No decision has been made. Germany has not agreed that other countries can send it either. The comment was taken out of context.

Russia has to be stopped, and stopped in such a way that they have to sue for peace, so that afterwards they cannot twist or turn it into some kind of victory, like " It was not Ukraine that defeated us, it was the combined forces of the West, UK and USA, but we won in Ukraine!" type of propaganda. And after that they have to be weakened economically so much, that they will not have the financial means to wage war anywhere in the world for many years to come. Don't be under any illusions about Vladimir Putin's ambitions, If he wins in Ukraine, he will not stop his murderous campaigns to "restore Russia to its former glory". Not supplying Ukraine with the weapons they need now, is the real cause of prolonging the war.

I hope they get them. Would soften old Krapzinc's cough.

The ammo stockiles are iffy. I saw images, which of course I can't find now, showing huge piles of shells and weapons all rusted to bits stored in the open, but I have also seen pics of stuff stored indoors, but even that stuff is likely unsafe:

The pipeline surely comes via Ukraine, so whether there's gas to tap into is entirely up to Ukraine, not Russia.

Are they tone deaf? What other country (apart from Russia) was looking to block leopards being given to Ukraine?

Ukraine should come out and state they don't want Abrams to put the pressure back on Sholtz so he can come up with another excuse.

The US has always said the Abrams tanks weren't suitable for ukraine due to the more difficult matainance involved with it's gas turbine engine vs the diesel leopards,the Ukrainans are already well versed in diesel macanicals,

This is Germany playing games

There's also no countries operating Abrams in Europe, so that's going to be difficult in maintenance and repairs. Everyone but Germany knows the quickest tank Ukraine can hop into and turn-key on, is a leopard.

We all know Russia is the biggest donor of tanks to Ukraine. Maybe Germany would feel more comfortable giving tanks to Russia and then in turn Ukraine can capture them.

It's probably the quickest way Ukraine would get a leopard at this stage.

Maybe nordstream 2 also needs to go boom, so the lure of cheap gas will truly be gone and Germany can go all in on Ukraine.

Baffling, I mean if Germany choose the same policy (no German tanks leaving Germany) in 1939, it would have been good. It's a little different now.

In fairness I don't think that is the reason (for Germany not supplying tanks - if that is what you were getting at!).

These Western companies still in Russia could not be making great amounts of money right now, could they (?).

If they up and leave they will lose all their assets there. A complete write off of whatever they have, they will at best have take minimal % of value they can get off a local or some Turkish or Chinese or Indian war profiteering company, or at worst everything will just be straight up robbed off them at stroke of a pen and gifted to a Putin crony. The EU (and Germany) will have the most to divest & unwind simply because they have the most & were most tied into the Russian economy.

I think at this stage sanctions should be brought in that start to force these companies, particularly ones that are important to Russia's economy/society & indirectly aid the war effort to divest themselves from Russia + face up to it no matter what the loss is (or become a Russian company if that is what they want and get locked out of the West).

Some support in Germany for a quicker provision of tanks for Ukraine:

If Germany thought Ukraine would win the war I'm sure they'd get a lot more military aid.

There is a major Russian assault coming. I wonder if it's a case of would the tanks be in service in time but also would it be enough anyway?

From Germany's perspective these concerns seem understandable even if frustrating for everyone else.