Denmark will purchase an additional 45 tanks for Ukraine in collaboration with other countries, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen announced on 19 September, Politiken reported.
The batch will include 30 Leopard 1 and 15 T-72 tanks. Poulsen said they are being acquired in cooperation with other countries.
“This is happening in collaboration with other countries that have access to tanks available to them,” the minister said upon arriving at the Ramstein base in Germany for a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting.
Denmark had previously collaborated with Germany and the Netherlands to buy and donate 100 Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine. In early September, the first ten of those 100 donated Leopard 1 tanks arrived in Ukraine after months of delay.
This marks the first time Denmark is providing T-72 tanks, which are said to have the advantage of Ukrainian forces already being familiar with operating them.
The Danish Ukraine Fund finances the tank transfers, specifically the 5.8 billion kroner (nearly $800 million) package announced last week.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen explained the package opens a “new phase” in Denmark’s assistance to Ukraine, as the country has given most of what it can spare from its own stocks. Copenhagen plans to focus on purchases tailored to Ukraine’s needs together with allies.
Defense Minister Poulsen declined to specify which countries the collaborative purchases involve.
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