"On Wednesday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced in the cabinet that Germany would further increase its military support for Ukraine. He said that the federal government had decided to provide the Ukrainian armed forces with Leopard 2 main battle tanks," Hebestreit told reporters.
The decision was made following intensive negotiations held with Germany's closest European and international partners, the official added.
Germany's European partners, in turn, will also hand over Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, the official said.
Additionally, Germany's new aid package will include ammunition, system maintenance, and assistance in logistics, he said.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) opposition party, Tino Chrupalla, called the chancellor's decision irresponsible and dangerous, adding that sending tanks to Kiev was "a robbery" of the Bundeswehr and increased the threat of being drawn into the conflict with Russia.
Western nations have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said any cargo that contains weaponry for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia.