“Compact. Jock: It’s easy to park.” humorously, Ukraine asks France for Leclerc tanks

“Western countries have become philosophers to know what is a “tank” and what is not. Us too, of course“This Thursday, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine wrote on Twitter, accompanied by A funny video these few enigmatic words. To understand this, we need to go back to the January 4 announcement by the Elysee Palace to send to Ukraine.light tanks“France.

These are the old AMX-10 RC, reconnaissance and combat armored vehicles that entered service in 1981 and will soon be replaced by the new Jaguar in the French armies. They certainly have a particularly powerful 105mm gun, but the AMX-10 RC is mounted on six wheels and not on tracks, hence its name, RC stands for “cannon wheels“. It was enough to spark a Byzantine debate. can we really talk about tanks, even lightly?

For Ukrainians, the answer does not matter. Having an AMX-10 RC is a good thing, no matter what their name is, and they would especially like to have the Leclerc, the French battle tank about which there is no semantic debate.

This is the theme of a video by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, in which we see a 55-ton tank moving through Paris with the song “Beautiful, beautiful, beautifulBy Claude Francois. And some well felt answers.Worried yet? [soupir] As for the tanks, I’m not interested in them, but what they become“. The Existentialist Declaration was signed”Jean Paul Sartre“In the picture. The line is long, but we are smiling.

A central question in Rammstein’s meeting

Then it comes as an advertisement. “Discover the all-new “super-mini” Leclerc. Compact. Jock: Easy to park.The tank is seen riding up the Champs Elysées on a flatbed truck. “Because it’s not the size that matters, it’s how you use it that matters“, – the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine laughs nicely. The request is hardly philosophical, but the message is realized. Ukraine wants tanks, while Kiev expects a new offensive from Russia thanks to a 300,000-strong mobilization and wants to have enough heavy weapons to launch a counteroffensive. after his summer successes.

Poland has already announced its desire to supply German-made Leopard tanks, and the British will send some of their Challenger. But nothing massive so far. The Americans are currently refraining from sending their Abrams. All eyes are on Germany, which holds the key, as the manufacturer of the Leopard, to decide whether to significantly put the tanks into service in many European countries, numbering around 2,000 across the Old Continent. Leclerc’s request is more subtle because France has only 200 operational and stocks are low.

With its humorous video, Kiev is thus reminding itself of its priorities before the meeting of defense ministers of Kiev’s allies is held this Friday at the American base in Ramstein, Germany. The issue of tanks will be central there.

Already on Wednesday, during the intervention in the Senate, the Minister of Armed Forces Sebastyan Lecornu uninvitingly mentioned the Leclercs. “For the Leclerc tanks, the president of the republic asked us, the chief of staff and me, to study this Ukrainian request, however, subject to the analysis of three criteria:“explained the minister, detailing the following three imperatives for the supply of weapons in Kyiv:defensive logic in mastering climbing“; the fact “not undermine our security and defense model“; “maintenance in operational condition” topics. “The question of Leclerc tanks is especially central and sensitiveOn this last point, Sébastien Lecornu explained, implicitly raising the logistical difficulties such a choice would present. At this stage, sending Leclerc is not for tomorrow, despite the Ukrainian humor.