The Netherlands ready to pay for Leopard tanks for Ukraine

The Netherlands expressed its readiness to pay for the supply of Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

This can occur within a coalition of European and NATO allies.

This was stated by the Minister of Defense of the country Kajsa Ollongren, Bloomberg reports.

The Head of the Dutch Defense Ministry noted that earlier the country had paid for the sending to Ukraine of Soviet-era modernized Т-72 tanks from the Czech Republic, and such approach could be recreated for German-made Leopard tanks.

“That is definitely something that we would be willing to do,” Ollongren added.

The Minister recalled that Poland and Finland had recently announced their intention to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, but within a wide coalition.

At all stages, the transfer requires permission from Berlin.

“We are all waiting to hear what the German position is on this, but I’m an advocate of trying to find a solution and trying to send tanks to Ukraine,” Ollongren said.

It should be reminded that the United States of America convinced Germany to transfer Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

However, yesterday, January 19, the German Bundestag failed to vote on the supply of Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine.

After a heated debate, all factions except the Conservatives, supported the proposal to refer the issue for further discussion to the Foreign Affairs Committee. However, both conservatives and three parties of the ruling coalition voted in favor of the continuation of supporting Ukraine with weapons. This proposition was opposed by the leftists and the Alternative for Germany party.

Last fall, the United States and the Netherlands, in cooperation with the Czech Republic, decided to transfer 90 overhauled and modernized Т-72 tanks to Ukraine. The cost of this joint project is about $90 million.