Finland offers 400 million euros in aid to Ukraine. It could also add Leopards

HELSINKI (Reuters – Finland announced Friday a new donation in excess of 400 million euros ($434 millions) to Ukraine’s defense equipment. It did not include the Leopard 2 heavy tank, which it indicated it could send if it reached an agreement with its allies.

According to the Defence Ministry, this new donation will triple Finland’s total defence assistance to Ukraine. It will bring the total up to 590 millions euros.

Miika Pynnonen is the special advisor to Finland’s defence Minister. She said that after talks with allies at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, a decision about donating Leopard 2 tank, which Finland currently has around 200, would now be taken independently.

“I cannot confirm that the package does not contain Leopard tanks.” (…) It consists heavy weaponry, ammunition,” Pynnonen said to Reuters.

Finland had indicated previously that it could send the German Leopard tanks, if there was agreement between allies.

With the support of Sweden, the latest aid package was possible. It agreed to immediately replace equipment donated by Finland in case of emergency. Both historically neutral Nordic countries apply simultaneously to NATO Western military alliance NATO.

According to the Finnish ministry, the defence ministers of Sweden and Finland will sign a Statement of Intent (SoI), which will support Ukraine in Ramstein later today.

According to the agreement, “Finland supplies defense material to Ukraine and Sweden expresses its willingness to support Finland as required.”

Pal Jonson, the Swedish defense minister, stated that the two countries are “close allies” and today’s letter shows that there is no limit to how cooperation can grow.

($1 = 0.9227 euros)

(Reporting by Anne Kauranen, Editing by Peter Graff