Netherlands wants to buy 18 Leopard 2 tanks from Germany

The Netherlands may buy back 18 Leopard 2 tanks, which were leased from Germany, and transfer them to Ukraine as part of the tank coalition.

This was announced by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in an interview with Frankfurte Allgemeine Zeitung.

"We have leased them, which means we can buy them, which means we can give them away for free," he said.

Rutte, who stressed his understanding of Ukraine's need for Western tanks, simultaneously added that such a move only makes sense in coordination with other countries, such as Finland and Portugal, but there is no decision yet.

According to the head of the Dutch government, it is now up to the German government to decide on the Leopard deliveries. If Germany refuses, then the Netherlands with other countries will have to decide on tank deliveries themselves bilaterally. "But we are not at that stage yet, and I don't want to put pressure on Germany," Rutte added.

Author - Olena Madiak, 24/01/2023