Delivery of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine not possible this year, says German arms maker

German defense contractor Rheinmetall said it could deliver refurbished Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine in 2024 at the earliest.

"Even if the decision is made tomorrow to allow us to send our Leopard tanks to Kiev, the delivery will take until early next year," Armin Papperger, Rheinmetall's CEO, told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

According to Papperger, the defense company still has 22 vehicles of the Leopard 2 and 88 of the Leopard 1.

"But we can't repair these tanks without a contract, because the costs are several hundred million euros. Rheinmetall cannot pre-finance that," the company boss said.