Finland Ready Send German-made Leopard 2 Tanks To Ukraine

Illustration of Leopard 2 tank. (Wikimedia Commons/Oscar en el medio)

JAKARTA - Finland can donate a small number of German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, if many European countries also decide to do so, said Finnish President Sauli Niinisto.

Kyiv has asked heavy military vehicles such as Leopard 2, which will represent a significant increase in Western support, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24 last year.

Finland, which has applied for NATO membership, can only share a limited number of tanks as the country's weapons are needed to keep its long borders with Russia, President Niinisto told the Finnish news agency STT.

"If the tank is to be delivered, Finland's offerings can't be much," President Niinisto told STT.

"If the position of the combat tank will change and cooperation with Europe will be formed, Finland's contribution is also needed," the president's office said in a statement.

It is known, Poland said it would send a Leopard 2 tank to Ukraine if there was a larger coalition of countries doing it. Meanwhile, Germany said it had no plans to send anything.

"A Leopard tank company will be handed over as part of the coalition's construction," President Andrzej Duda said during a visit to Lviv City, Ukraine.

Earlier, Britain was considering supplying Ukraine with the main fighting tank (MBT) Challenger 2 for the first time to counter the Russian invasion, according to unnamed sources and learned of it.

One of the sources said Britain was likely to offer about 10 Challenger 2 tanks, enough power to complete a squadron.