KYIV - Germany’s new defence minister, Boris Pistorius, made an unscheduled visit to Kyiv on Tuesday, two weeks after Berlin agreed to provide Leopard tanks to help Ukraine counter Russian forces.

Ukrainian defence minister Oleksii Reznikov tweeted a photo of himself and Mr Pistorius holding a model replica of the tank.

A defence ministry spokesman confirmed the photo was taken in Ukraine’s capital on Tuesday.

“Thank you to @Bundeskanzler my colleague Boris Pistorius and the German people. The tank coalition is marching... to victory!” Mr Reznikov wrote.

Germany’s decision to provide 14 Leopard tanks came after weeks of intense pressure from Kyiv and many of Berlin’s European allies.

It also gave approval for other European countries to send the German-made tanks from their own stocks to Ukraine, and the United States later said it would send its Abrams tanks, while Britain promised its Challenger models.

In all, Ukraine says it expects between 120 and 140 modern Western tanks as the country braces for a new Russian offensive possibly in the coming weeks.

Mr Pistorius has said the first Leopards could arrive in Ukraine in late March or early April. AFP