Iceland will purchase 10 oil transporting trucks for the Ukrainian army to support the war-torn country against Russia, the Icelandic government confirmed in a statement on Tuesday.
Two trucks were already delivered in the past week, with another eight to follow soon, the statement reads.
“Since the beginning of the invasion, we have focused on supporting the government of Ukraine according to their wishes and needs and our capabilities.”, Icelandic Foreign Minister Þórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir.
“We do not supply the Ukrainian army with weapons or other military equipment, but we can, however, contribute by providing oil tankers that there is a noticeable shortage of and be quick when such a need arises”, she added.
According to the Icelandic government, oil transportation is of utmost importance for the defence capacity and mobility of the Ukrainian army in the face of Russian invasion forces, while the Ukrainian government is keen to have friendly nations providing such vehicles.
Iceland has a long-standing policy of not selling weapons to other countries, and the country does not have a military of its own. It maintains a small coastguard for defence and security purposes, primarily focused on protecting its territorial waters and conducting search and rescue operations.
The total cost of purchasing the cars, administration, and delivery amount to €400,000, or ISK 60 million.
(Charles Szumski | EURACTIV.com)
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