The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sanchezconfirmed this Thursday in kyiv before the head of the Ukrainian state, Volodimir Zelenskythat Spain will send 6 Leopard tanks to kyiv and could increase aid to 10 tanks.
We are going to send six Leopard 2 A4″, said Sánchez, who added that the “intention” of his government is “to go from 6 to 10 in the coming weeks and months” the number of tanks that Spain will deliver to Ukraine.
In addition to confirming the shipment of 6 tanks, which was advanced on Wednesday by the Defense Minister, Daisy RoblesSánchez also recalled that Spain will train Ukrainian soldiers in driving these war vehicles.
According to the President of the Government, the first Ukrainian military group has already arrived in Spain to learn how to drive these battle tanks that several NATO countries have agreed to send to Ukraine.
During his joint press conference with Zelensky at the Mariinsky Palace in kyiv, Sánchez also spoke about the possibility of Madrid sending planes to Ukraine.
“We have to study it”said Sánchez, who added that the final decision will be made in coordination with NATO countries and said that Zelensky has made this request expressly.
Sánchez also explained that Spain works so that Switzerland “can unblock” the shipment of war material of Swiss manufacture that the country would be vetoing based on its status as a producing country.
Likewise, the President of the Spanish Government highlighted the humanitarian support that your country is providing. In addition to having received more than 165,000 refugeesSpain treats Ukrainian war wounded in Zaragoza and is training doctors in the management of this type of serious case.
For his part, Zelensky thanked Sánchez for the weapons supplies.
“Joining the ‘coalition of tanks‘, Spain is making Ukraine stronger,” Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president also welcomed the fact that the Spanish government has given kyiv a “solid support” that “has grown” during the war and is helping to protect human lives.
“They are helping to protect the lives of Ukrainians from Russian terror,” Zelensky said during the joint press conference.
Zelensky added that his country has “I felt this firm solidarity from the first day of the war until today”and specifically referred to the shipment by Spain of anti-aircraft systems that Ukraine uses to protect its critical infrastructure from Russian bombing.
Finland also announces shipments
This Thursday, the Finnish Defense Minister, Mikko Savolaalso confirmed that Finland send to three tanks “Leopard 2″ to Ukraine and will provide the Ukrainian armed forces with training in its use and maintenance.
According to local media, the three “Leopard 2” armored cars that Finland will send to Ukraine are designed for mine clearance and explosive devices unexploded and do not have cannons, although they are equipped with machine guns.
The minister had already announced Finland’s willingness to collaborate with the allies in sending Leopard tanks to Ukraine, although he warned that his country’s contribution would not be “neither large nor substantial” so as not to weaken its own defense capacity. against neighboring Russia.
“We have one long eastern frontier to defend and we are not members of NATO yet,” he told the press to justify the type of aid his country will ultimately provide.
This is the thirteenth assistance package that Finland has sent to kyiv since the start of the war and its economic value amounts to about 160 million euros, according to the Ministry of Defense.
With this latest package, the total value of all the defense equipment that Finland has supplied to Ukraine exceeds 750 million euros, according to official figures.
(With information from EFE)
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Source-www.infobae.com