War: Finland to deliver 3 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine

Finland planned to deliver three Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, Finnish Defence Minister Mikko Savola announced on Twitter on Thursday.

The tanks are not equipped with cannons but with machine guns, the minister said at a news conference.

He added that the vehicles were specifically intended for mine clearance.

Six of the approximately 200 Leopard 2 tanks in Finland are mine-clearing tanks, according to the Yle state broadcaster.

Training on the use and maintenance of the tanks would also be provided, the ministry said in a statement.

At the same time, the government announced further arms deliveries to Kyiv.

“It is a year since Russia began its war of aggression and Ukraine still needs defence support.

“We are sending more defence material and participating in the Leopard cooperation together with our partners,’’ Savola said in the statement.

The Nordic country, which is currently seeking NATO membership, had signalled in January that it could supply some Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

Finnish President Sauli Niinistö recently stated that Finland’s contribution would not be very large in terms of numbers.

Finland has a very long border with Russia and it is the only country with Leopard tanks that is not a member of NATO, prompting fears of retaliation.

At last week’s Munich Security Conference, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Western allies to join in supplying battle tanks to Ukraine.

Germany is supplying 14 Leopard 2A6s and is looking for partners to equip a Ukrainian battalion with an overall 31 Leopard tanks in a process that is taking longer than expected.

Poland is the main supplier of the older Leopard 2A4 model for another battalion.

(dpa/NAN)