Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said on Wednesday that Madrid is open to providing Leopard-2 tanks to Ukraine. This happened after Germany agreed to send tanks.
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According to Robles, Madrid will act in coordination with its Western allies to help Ukraine defend against a Russian invasion.
“Spain is ready, within the framework of this coordination, to work with our allies to do whatever is necessary, including sending Leopard-2s, training in the use of these Leopard-2s, and helping to maintain and maintain them,” she said.
Robles also expressed hope that the proposal to send tanks should not be put to a vote of the parliament, as it would be within the framework of Spain’s international obligations to the EU and NATO. At the same time, coalition partners Podemos and ERC criticize the idea of supplying tanks and claim that they will vote against it in any case.
Spain has 108 2A4 tanks, according to security and defense researcher Felix Arteaga of the Elcano think tank. 2A4 is an old, standard model for many European countries, and Ukrainian tankers can undergo standard training on them.
According to Arteaga, about half of the Spanish tanks are in the North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, and 53 tanks are stored at the military base in Zaragoza and need to be converted.
A source familiar with the matter said that Spain had already assessed the need for major repairs, that Germany and Ukraine had agreed to the cost, which would be paid from a special fund, and that the tanks could be ready for battle within two months.
Some are in worse condition than others because they have been used for spare parts, the source added.
According to the interlocutor, the tanks will be transported overland across Europe by flatbed trucks, which will take about a week.