Netherlands to supply Ukraine with shells for Leopard tanks
Leopard 2A7 (Photo:REUTERS/Ints Kalnins)
The Netherlands will deliver 20,000 rounds of ammunition for Leopard-2 main battle tanks to Ukraine, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said on Feb. 15, as reported by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.
Ollongren stressed that tank ammunition plays an important role in military assistance to Ukraine.
“It makes little sense to supply just a tank,” she said.
“We must provide a full package of services. In addition to training Ukrainian soldiers, ammunition and spare parts are needed.”
The Netherlands, which is the only country without tanks in the “tank coalition,” offered assistance in training in addition to the transfer of ammunition and spare parts.
“Together, we can provide what Ukraine needs,” Ollongren said.
At the same time, the minister didn’t rule out that the tanks leased from Germany could still be sent to Ukraine.
“There are no disagreements,” she said.
“It cannot be ruled out that the leased tanks may still go to Ukraine later. I don’t exclude anything, but there will be no deliveries at the moment.”
One Leopard tank holds up to 42 rounds, meaning that the transferred stock will be enough for more than 470 sets.
On Feb. 14, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that a group of countries, including Germany, Poland, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Norway, Denmark, and the Netherlands, are working on the transfer of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
Later on Feb. 14, Die Welt reported that Denmark and the Netherlands have revised their decisions on the transfer of Leopard-2s to Ukraine.
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