Haavisto: Finland is ready to participate in deliveries of Leopard wagons – Politics
Policy|Russian invasion
Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto tells news agency Reuters that he hopes the decision on Leopard tanks will be implemented.
17.1. 13:58
Foreign minister Pekka Haavisto (vihr) hopes that a decision on the delivery of Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine will be made and that Finland is ready to participate in the deliveries.
“We are currently discussing closely what the European Union and the Nordic countries can do to help Ukraine,” Haavisto said, according to the Reuters news agency, on Tuesday at the Davos Economic Forum.
“The discussion is over about the Leopard battle tanks. I hope that this decision will be implemented, and Finland is definitely ready to choose its own part in this,” added Haavisto.
Ukraine has specifically requested Leopard 2 level battle tanks from the West. the main task of tanks like the year is to destroy the corresponding equipment of the enemy. Leopard equipment would give the Ukrainians a technological advantage over their opponent.
I don’t hurt the wish is clearly more direct than the defense minister Mikko Savolan (central) position on the matter last week. Savola commented on the tank discussion on the messaging service Twitter.
“If an international coalition for the operation of battle tanks in Ukraine is created, Finland’s contribution will be needed. It must be remembered that it is a whole weapon system. That’s why together”, Savola supports coordinates, among other things.
According to Savola, support for Ukraine is evaluated “together with the Defense Forces, without weakening Finland’s own defense capability”.
Also the president Sauli Niinistö has emphasized that if it is decided to hand over battle tanks, “Finland’s contribution cannot therefore be quantitatively very numerous”.
Read more: Niinistö: If the Leopards are handed over, Finland’s contribution cannot be large
Chairman of the Defense Antti Häkkänen (kok) has said that Finland could hand over Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine if it produces a broader, European decision.