Germany should order new Leopard tanks as soon as possible to replace those transferred to Ukraine, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Wednesday, adding that he does not care where the money comes from, Reuters reported.

"For me, the crucial fact is that we have to order new tanks, not in a year, but swiftly, so that production can begin," he told reporters while visiting the tank battalion that is set to send 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

Responding to a question of how the German government would fund the procurement of more tanks, Pistorius said, "Frankly, I don't care. It is essential that we can provide them quickly."