28 tanks for Ukraine: Slovenia confirms ring exchange with Germany

Germany is to deliver 35 heavy military trucks and five tank trucks to Slovenia.

28 tanks for Ukraine: Slovenia confirms ring exchange with Germany

Germany is to deliver 35 heavy military trucks and five tank trucks to Slovenia. Slovenian Prime Minister Golob announced that 28 Soviet-made tanks would be given to the Ukraine in return. There is only one other country in which Germany has yet to agree on a ring exchange.

According to Slovenian information, Slovenia and Germany have agreed on an exchange of rings as military aid for Ukraine. According to this, Slovenia is handing over 28 old M-55S main battle tanks to the country attacked by Russia. This was announced by Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob in Ljubljana after a telephone conversation with Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz. From Germany it will get 35 heavy military trucks and five tankers, it said on Monday evening. Official confirmation was still pending in Berlin.

The M-55S tank is a modernized variant of the Soviet T-55 tank type, which is in service with many countries, including Ukraine. The German government has organized part of the military aid for Ukraine as an exchange with eastern NATO partners. These hand over weapons of Soviet design to the Ukraine and receive more modern replacements from Germany. Such deals have already been made with the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Greece. No agreement was reached with Poland.

Ukraine has been pushing for German tanks for weeks. The focus is on tanks of the "Leopard" type and the "Marder" infantry fighting vehicle. Berlin has so far rejected this. Scholz emphasized that there would be no German going it alone. So far, no NATO country has delivered modern western-style main battle tanks to Ukraine.

Instead, the Chancellor referred to deliveries of heavy weapons that had already taken place. They "made the difference and the successes, the current successes that Ukraine is recording, are also possible". The day before, Lambrecht had announced the transfer of further multiple rocket launchers "Mars II" and armored vehicles of the "Dingo" type. Four more Panzerhaubitzen 2000 are also to go to the Ukraine.