Britain's Leadership and Germany's Missed Opportunity

The United Kingdom's decision to send Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine signals a significant shift in London's position on the conflict. It not only alters the potential trajectory of events on the battlefield, but it also offers the UK a fresh opportunity to re-establish its credentials as a world power and breathe life into its "Global Britain" ambitions.

Britain remembers

The United Kingdom has a history of standing against oppression and intolerance, and London is now assuming that historical role as it comes to Ukraine's defense. London is clearly committed to the security of Ukraine and the region, as evidenced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plans for government ministers to meet with their counterparts in Washington, Paris, and Berlin to discuss deploying more armor and other cutting-edge systems, and to train Ukrainians to use them.

An effective illustration of how military assistance can key a country’s defense against attack is the Lend-Lease program carried out during World War II. Under this initiative, the British Empire acquired a sizable quantity of military assistance from the United States, including 17,184 Sherman tanks. This assistance helped the UK defend against Nazi aggression, and it amounted to nearly 78% of all American Shermans given globally under Lend-Lease.

Beyond the British military, other British Empire members and Allies who received equipment from the UK benefited from this assistance, including the Polish Armed Forces in the West. Lend-Lease helped the British Empire field a sizable and well equipped armored force that was essential in the defeat of Nazi Germany.

Lend-Lease also provided 4,102 Sherman tanks to the Soviet Union. Thus were the Soviets able to repel the German invasion. The Soviet Union's ability to change the tide of the conflict and win the war depended on this supply of tanks and other military hardware.

A greater call

These historical instances show the effectiveness of military assistance in empowering a country to defend itself against a foreign invasion. In a similar vein, the UK's decision to provide Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine can be viewed as an effective means of military assistance, one that can substantively help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression. The arrival of British Challenger 2 tanks sends a clear message to both Moscow and Kyiv. One of the greatest tanks in the world, the Challenger 2 is internationally respected, and its deployment to Ukraine shows that London is prepared to follow its words with deeds.

London’s initiative also serves as a call for greater involvement from Germany and other European nations. Despite initial reluctance from German Chancellor Scholz to send tanks to Ukraine, Berlin did recently give the green light for other countries to send Leopard tanks, and it will send some of its own as well. However, it seems that Germany has not yet fully committed to providing large quantities of tanks. It has opted for limited deliveries at this time.

A limited number of tanks would only be a show of force. In order to affect the course of the war, the tanks must arrive in numbers. Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, Ukraine’s senior military commander, said in an interview a few months ago that his forces require 300 Western tanks to change the course of the conflict in their favor. The mass-produced Leopard 2 tanks developed in Germany are currently in use by numerous European nations, and they would be an excellent option.

The UK's decision to deploy tanks to Ukraine created the precedent for other Western countries to follow, and it is now up to Germany and other European states to determine whether they will join the UK in assisting Ukraine's defense. Russia changed the rules of international relations. In that context, it is obvious that deploying tanks to Ukraine is not unusual, but rather a necessary response to aggression. Compared to the amount produced by Germany and the U.S., the UK has a tiny supply of tanks, with a total fleet size numbering in the low hundreds.

Looking for a turning point

Britain has shown itself ready to lead in a changed European geopolitical landscape. Its courageous choice to send tanks to Ukraine shows that London is committed to helping Kyiv defend itself from Russian aggression. Any country wondering how to respond to a crucial geopolitical challenge might look to the UK's capacity to export its fiercely competitive Challenger 2 tanks as a model. Germany is losing just such a chance, for now, while London has re-established itself in the international arena and breathed life into “Global Britain.”

Tanks and other supplies might be a key element in helping Ukraine turn the tide of the fight and win. This moment reminds us all that, as was done during World War II with the Lend-Lease program, nations must unite and help one another in the face of attack. The UK remembers this, and its leadership has the potential to represent a turning point in the confrontation with Russia.