Denmark and Sweden are open to sending their own Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz gave his needed green light for other countries to send them too.
After weeks of pressure on the home and international front, Scholz agreed to the delivery of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, and, as official permission was needed, also allowed for such German-made tanks located in other countries to be sent there.
Leopard 2 is “the best heavy tank of all time”, the Swedish Defence Force said about the tank many view as a ‘game-changer’ and which has been requested by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on several occasions.
There is no doubt that Denmark should donate its Leopard 2 tanks, Denmark’s defence spokesperson, Rasmus Jarlov of the Conservative party that is currently in the ruling coalition, said.
“Denmark should definitely contribute Leopard tanks. It is crucial that Ukrainians get this capability to beat back the Russians,” he said, echoing nationalist Danish People’s Party MP Alex Ahrendtsen.
“If Denmark can do without the tanks, hopefully they will do some good by kicking the Russians out of the country,” he said, shedding light on the need for several right-wing parties to clarify first if sending such crucial weaponry will not weaken the country’s defence capacities.
“We must be willing to pay a high price financially, because the price will be much worse later if Russia wins the war,” Jarlov concluded, acknowledging that sending the tanks to Ukraine would come at a high cost as Denmark would have to order new tanks to replace those sent to Ukraine.
For Sweden, delivering some of its 120 Leopard 2 tanks is “a possibility, but only in the future” as no such plans are being enforced right now, Defence Minister Pål Jonson said in a written statement for Svenska Dagbladet that was published Wednesday.
As previously reported by EURACTIV, the Swedish government announced on 19 January that the country will send Ukraine its much-vaunted Archer artillery system, 50 fighting vehicles, and high-precision anti-tank missiles.
(Charles Szumski | EURACTIV.com)
Source: euractiv.com
