The Czech Republic's Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Tuesday that the country is not willing to give up on its supply of Leopard 2 battle tanks which it received from Germany as part of a so-called circular swap plan for indirect arms deliveries to Ukraine.
"It is not possible now to send the Leopards on, because we need these tanks for our security," said Fiala in an interview with dpa after a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.
The German government has organized part of its military aid to Ukraine through these circular swaps with its Eastern allies who provide Kiev with Soviet-built weapons - which the Ukrainians are familiar with and can operate easily - and in turn receive modern replacements from Germany.
The Czech Republic provided Ukraine with dozens of Soviet-designed T-72 battle tanks last year. In return, the German government promised the government in Prague 14 Leopard 2 tanks and one armoured recovery vehicle.
