Ukraine needs a Leopard operation

The war in Ukraine is entering its second year. The initiative now lies with Ukraine, but there is no quick end in sight. The war grinds on and slowly gnaws at Ukraine.

Ukraine’s success has not only been rooted in a strong will to defend itself, but also in the support provided by the West in the form of training and equipment. This support will determine how the war ends. It is in our, Europe’s and the entire free world’s interest that the war ends with as quick a victory as possible for Ukraine. Russia must not be allowed to live under the delusion that it has in any way benefited from a criminal war of aggression. Material support to Ukraine must continue and be strengthened.

At the beginning of the war there was a lot of discussion in all countries about the level of aid and what material should be sent. We have learned a lot in just under a year. Among other things, new technologies can quickly change the situation on the battlefield. Step by step, we have increased both the quantity and quality of the material sent. However, change has been slow. Now is the time to take a step forward.

Winter is here. The frozen ground will once again change the situation for both Russia and Ukraine. This should also be reflected in the support we provide.

Despite decisively supporting Ukraine, some weapons are still excluded from support. Among other things western, modern tanks have not been part of the material sent. Such tanks would significantly increase Ukraine’s combat capabilities on the battlefield. New equipment requires training, and it would therefore be particularly valuable to provide the Ukrainians with a large number of tanks of the same type, in the use of which the Ukrainian troops can be effectively trained.

A Leopard 2 tank of German origin would be ideal for this purpose. Thousands of variants of this have been built since the end of the 1970s and are used in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Norway, Poland and Finland, among others. It is one of the most used Western tanks. In terms of performance, it surpasses Soviet-era Russian equipment. During the Cold War, the Western strategy was base on achieving a qualitative advantage over an attacker who was assumed to have a quantitative advantage.

Through a joint European effort, we could in a perhaps decisive way contribute to enable Ukraine to maintain a momentum in the war.

Finland has a total of around two hundred Leopard 2 tanks. Geography limits our ability to transfer large amounts of critical equipment in use. But by signaling readiness to contribute even a small number of tanks, we might be able to get a European tank discussion going. It is needed now.

By starting this discussion, we could be able to sow a seed for wider – and more effective – support.

Finland’s own defense capability must not be compromised, but it is clear that Ukraine’s success in the war is paramount for our own security. If we deliver tanks, we must of course immediately begin the preparation of replacement acquisitions.

The risk that an increase in the level of support would lead to an escalation should not be overestimated. The nature of the support itself is not significantly changed by the fact that the support would also include Western tanks. We must also be careful not to analyze our support based on a Russian narrative but rather guide ourselves by how we best defend our own interests and our values.

Published as an opinion peace in HBL 27.12.2022)

Anders Adlercreutz, Member of Parliament, SFP

Atte Harjanne, Member of Parliament, De Gröna