Netherlands, Denmark, Germany commit 100 Leopard tanks to Ukraine

The Netherlands Ministry of Defence will also provide instructors to contribute to the training of Ukrainian personnel.

All three countries will purchase the Leopard 1A5s directly from German suppliers and commit additional refurbished tanks which have been kept in storage, according to Minister Ollongren.

The war in Ukraine is in a crucial phase and it’s expected that fighting will intensify in the coming months, Minister Ollongren said in her address.

Russia is continuing its mobilisation and there are signs that it is preparing a new offensive. Supplying main battle tanks is of importance in maintaining Ukraine’s staying power, improving its position on the battlefield and ultimately ensuring Ukraine’s existence as a sovereign state, she said.

The supply of Leopard 1A5s will be considered separate to the potential transfer of modern Leopard 2A6 to Ukraine, in which discussions are still ongoing.

The defence ministers from each country will meet again in Brussels on 14 February prior to the meeting of NATO defence ministers to further discuss the potential for a Leopard 2 transfer.

Robert Dougherty

Robert is a senior journalist who has previously worked for Seven West Media in Western Australia, as well as Fairfax Media and Australian Community Media in New South Wales. He has produced national headlines, photography and videography of emergency services, business, community, defence and government news across Australia. Robert graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Majoring in Public Relations and Journalism at Curtin University, attended student exchange program with Fudan University and holds Tier 1 General Advice certification for Kaplan Professional. Reach out via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or via LinkedIn.