Canada will send Leopard 2 tanks from its arsenal to Ukraine, a federal government source said protocol. The exact number of tanks sent is currently unknown.
• Also read: Germany supplies Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine
• Also read: Western heavy tanks: “Important step towards final victory,” Zelenskyy cheers
The move follows similar announcements from Germany and the United States, which reached an agreement after several weeks of hesitation.
The plan, unveiled on Wednesday, envisages sending more than 100 tanks to Ukraine, including 31 M1 Abrams bought by the United States and 62 Leopard 2s from European Union countries.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday morning he had no announcement to make at this time, but he and his foreign minister Mélanie Joly gave assurances Canada could do more.
Canada recently announced the delivery of 200 light vehicles, due to arrive before the summer, and a state-of-the-art NASAMS air defense system. Those two deliveries cost just over $500 million.
tensions
Under pressure, Chancellor Olaf Scholz decided to give the green light for Poland and other countries that wish to supply Leopard 2 tanks.
Angela Merkel’s successor also caused a surprise by announcing the delivery of 2A6 tank models, which are more advanced than the models delivered by Poland.
With Washington’s decision to follow in Berlin’s footsteps and extradite Abrams to Kyiv, Olaf Scholz also avoids supporting this downgrading of military support to Ukraine alone.
Mr. Scholz “animates the principle of the Cold War that Germany must involve the American protecting power as closely as possible,” notes the daily newspaper “Welt”.
The Chancellor insisted that despite sending tanks, the conflict should be prevented from escalating, which would lead to a war between Russia and NATO.
In doing so, he decidedly ruled out the sending of combat aircraft to Ukraine and forestalled President Zelenskyy’s request.
relief
The German press itself was rather relieved after the German green light, which according to the Tagesspiegel allows “spreading escalation risks among several countries” and maintaining the alliance between the westerners.
In the German political class, apart from the two extremes, as well as in the rest of Europe, Berlin’s decision was welcomed. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki praised this decision as a “big step forward to stop Russia”.
-With AFP
Do you have any information about this story that you would like to share with us?
Do you have a scoop that might be of interest to our readers?