In the spring of 2022, the Americans requested the Cyprus Government to donate TOR-M1 and S-300 air defense missile systems, as well as T-80U main battle tanks, BMP-3 IFVs (Infantry Fighting Vehicles) and Mi-35 attack helicopters. But Cyprus poses one condition, communicated by its foreign minister Ioannis Kasoulides to Jens Plöttner, foreign and security advisor to German chancellor Olav Scholz: the quick reception of Leopard 2s in exchange for the donation of its T-80Us. No reply from Scholz to date.
The Cypriot government is convinced that a quick replacement of its T-80Us by Leopard 2s would be possible only if these Leopard 2s come from friendly Greece. Indeed, the Greek (Hellenic) army already operates 353 Leopard 2 MBTs: 183 Leopard 2A4GRs dating back to the 1980s but currently in the upgrading process to the Leopard 2A7 HEL standard, in addition to 170 Leopard 2A6 HEL.
But Greece wants first to get Leopard 2s in exchange to avoid depletion of its arsenal amid rising tensions with Turkey (also equipped with Leopard 2s in the waiting of its future indigenous Altay MBTs). No other supply solution is taken into consideration by Cyprus, as it would take too much time if to be supplied by Germany.