Sweden to give Ukraine 10 Leopard 2 tanks – Der Spiegel
The first Leopard 2 tanks are already in Ukraine, they were handed over by Poland (Photo:Kacper Pempel/File Photo/Reuters)
Sweden has decided to join the tank coalition and provide Ukraine with 10 Leopard 2 tanks to fight against the Russian occupation forces, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported on Feb. 24.
According to the publication, Stockholm plans to transfer 10 Leopard 2A6 and 2A5 tanks.
The Swedish government has not officially confirmed this decision, but the Swedish Defense Ministry clarified that the package of "new support" for the Ukrainian army would be announced on the afternoon of Feb. 24.
On Feb. 15, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said that the allies had formed a battalion of Leopard 2A4 tanks for Ukraine. Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin indicated that a group of countries, including Germany, Poland, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Norway, Denmark, and the Netherlands, is working on the transfer of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
On Feb. 24, media reported that Poland had already delivered the first tanks to Ukraine.
On Jan. 25, Germany, after much hesitation, approved the transfer of 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and their re-export from partner countries. The same day, the United States announced that it would send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that the first tanks could be sent to Ukraine by the end of March.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba estimated that Ukraine would receive 120-140 modern Western-made tanks in the first wave.
Previously, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine's defenders need 300-500 tanks for an offensive to liberate more Ukrainian territory from Russian occupation.
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