Netherlands: We do not intend to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine

According to the report of Fars International News Agency, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ellongren emphasized on Friday that the country does not intend to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, despite the fact that earlier, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that the country intends to buy them. Leopard 2 tanks and sending them to Ukraine.

Ellungren said that currently the country has 18 tanks that officially belong to Germany and are only leased by the Netherlands, and Berlin has not yet given permission to send them to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, a few days ago, the Netherlands along with Germany and Denmark announced that they plan to send 100 old Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine.

Ellongren said that sending these old tanks is the only possible and quick option.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stepped up his calls for the rapid delivery of Western weapons to Ukraine, claiming that his forces are preparing for an expected counter-offensive from Russia. During his visit to England on Wednesday, he made a request to provide combat aircraft, and London responded that it was investigating to determine what fighters it could provide to Kiev as a medium to long-term solution to confront Moscow.

Earlier, Russia announced that if Britain sends its fighters to Ukraine, this country will respond to this action and it will increase the tension. The Russian Embassy in London announced in a statement: “Russia will respond to any unfriendly action by the UK.”

Since the beginning of 2023, the western allies of Ukraine have tried to intensify the wave of sending weapons to Kiev by sending new and unprecedented heavy weapons. In recent weeks, they pressured Germany to agree to send advanced Leopard tanks to Ukraine by maneuvering that Russia is planning to assemble and prepare its forces for a new round of heavy attacks in Ukraine.

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