The defense ministries of the Netherlands and Denmark have entered into a “donation cooperation” for the delivery of Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine.
The two countries will work on delivering a total of 14 Leopard 2 tanks, which are expected to roll off the factory line during the first quarter of 2024.
These will be in addition to the 100 older Leopard 1 A5 tanks the Netherlands and Denmark are refurbishing for Ukraine together with Germany.
“Ukraine demands modern Western tanks to counter the Russian aggression. From the beginning of the invasion, Denmark has supported Ukraine’s struggle for freedom, and we will continue to do so. It is absolutely crucial for the hope of a peaceful and safe Europe that we do not let the Ukrainians fight the battle alone,” Denmark’s acting defense minister Troels Lund Poulsen said.
“We are showing Putin that we stand with our allies in Ukraine’s struggle. At the same time, we are helping to ensure that Ukraine can also stand up to Russia’s illegal invasion in the future. It is good for both Ukraine and the freedom and security of the whole of Europe,” foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen added.
With the Leopard 2 A4 main battle tank, Ukraine can gain superiority on the battlefield, the Dutch defense ministry, adding that that the two countries would share the costs for the purchase of the tanks, which is about 165 million euros.
The Netherlands also contributes to two initiatives for the joint purchase of 155mm artillery ammunition. It does this by contributing 130 million euros to the European Defense Agency (EDA) initiative.
A further €130 million will go to the German joint procurement initiative.
The Leopard 1 tanks that were funded in February this year are expected to be ready for Ukrainian training within the coming weeks, the defense ministries further said.
