Finland to consider sending battle tanks to Ukraine ‘if other countries do as well’

According to Yle, Finland has Leopard-2 battle tanks available but has not yet made any decisions regarding their transfer to Ukraine.

Read also: Polish National Security Council discussed sending Ukraine Leopard tanks

“However, if a multi-country group appears to support the transfer of battle tanks, Finland will consider participating,” the report says.

Finland’s political leadership is reportedly waiting for a decision from Germany and other major countries, and says it will not be the first to decide to send tanks.

Read also: Finland adopts 11th military aid package worth EUR 28.8 million for Ukraine

U.S. political news outlet Politico reported on Jan. 9 that France and Poland are pushing Germany to equip Kyiv with its powerful Leopard-2 tanks.

Read also: Rosatom demands money from Finland for unbuilt nuclear power plant

A French official told Politico that Paris is turning the screws on Germany in the hope of extracting an agreement from Berlin to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine ahead of a Franco-German summit on Jan. 22, the 60th anniversary of the Élysée partnership treaty between the two nations.

On Jan. 7, Ukrainian Presidential Adviser Mykhailo Podolyak confirmed that Ukraine is negotiating with its international partners about the transfer of heavy tanks, specifically — the German-made Leopard-2s. According to him, the discussions are “already at the finish line.”

Read also: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visits Kharkiv

U.S. newspaper The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that Poland is considering supplying Ukraine with Leopards. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki confirmed negotiations were underway, but said Warsaw does not plan to transfer the tanks to Ukraine without support from a broader coalition of allies.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine