 Germany will send older Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine. Germany will send older Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine, but necessary refurbishments will take time. Germany announced it will send Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine, just a week after agreeing to send 14 of its much more modern Leopard 2 tanks to the embattled country on the back of pressure from allies. The Leopard 1 tanks were made in Germany after the end of World War II, but were phased out in 2003. According to local German reports, the tanks manufacturer Reiner Metall has some 88 tanks in stock, but the deliveries may take several months at least, as they need to be fully refurbished and the right ammunition for them must be sourced, which may be a difficult feat. Berlin did not specify how many of the Leopard 1 tanks would be going to Ukraine, nor did it outline a specific timeline. Leopard 1s are no longer produced, and their shells have a different caliber than the newer Leopard 2s. The German government is also considering buying back 15 Jeopard tanks it has sold to Qatar, but might also face some issues there, since ammunition for those is made in Switzerland, which has so far refused to approve re-exports to Ukraine on the grounds that it would breach its neutrality. However, some Swiss lawmakers are pushing for the country to reconsider its position. Kyiv has been pressing its allies to send tanks for months, saying it needs hundreds to face a potential Russian counter-offensive in the spring. The UK has also pledged to send Kyiv, some of its own challenger, two tanks, while the US has said it will send 31 M1 Abrams tanks.