LISBON (Reuters) – Portugal will deliver Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, Prime Minister Antonio Costa confirmed on Saturday, without specifying the number.
The head of government said that Lisbon was discussing with Germany the supply of spare parts by the end of March to repair Leopard 2s which are currently in Portuguese stocks.
“I don’t know how many tanks (will be delivered to Ukraine) but we will announce the number when the time is right,” Antonio Costa told the Lusa news agency during a trip to the Central African Republic.
Portuguese army chief of staff Admiral António Silva Ribeiro said last month that Portugal had 37 Leopard 2 tanks but according to local press most are not in working order and should be repaired before being transferred.
(Written by Catarina Demony, French version Tangi Salaün)
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