Tanks “Leopard” increased support for Ukraine from Portugal to 712 tons

The Minister of National Defense announced on Tuesday that with the shipment of three Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine in March, Portugal’s aid to the country will reach 712 tons of lethal and non-lethal materials.

“This new support will increase the lethal and non-lethal materiel that we have provided to date to 712 tonnes, based on an end-to-end coordination effort either through the European Peace Support Mechanism or through contacts that have taken place within the Defense Contact Group Ukraine” [Grupo de Contacto para a Defesa da Ucrânia]” Helena Carreiras said.

The minister, who was in Kiev on the 24th, is being heard at a regimental hearing in the Assembly of the Republic and in his opening speech spoke of Ukraine’s support for the country in the face of the Russian invasion, stressing that “Portugal remains committed to maintaining the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of this countries”.

“It is in this context, after consultations with our allies and partners, that we recently announced the dispatch of three new Leopard 2A6 tanks to Ukraine by the end of March, together with the German authorities. ,” He said.

Helena Carreiras guaranteed that “the transfer of these funds will not jeopardize the combat capability” of the Portuguese armed forces, which will allow “to strengthen those who are most in need of the legitimate exercise of their right to self-defence, and to demonstrate once again that Portugal unconditionally supports the Ukrainian people for so much as much as you need” and always within the limits of the country’s capabilities.

“The security of Ukraine is also the security of Portugal and Europe, and we have fulfilled all our obligations, urging others to follow us along this path so that Ukrainians have what they need to win this fight,” he stressed.

The minister added that the country’s response to the war was also evident in the adaptations made to the planning and participation of the deployed national force, for a total of 31 different missions in 2023.

“We will also continue to operate in Romania and Lithuania, contributing to collective security and deterrence efforts against Russia. We are also already participating in Poland and Germany in the European Union Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM), which was created to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” he said.

At the beginning of the month, Prime Minister António Costa announced that Portugal was implementing the maintenance plan for Leopard 02 tanks and that it could deliver three tanks to Ukraine next March.

Moments later, socialist Diogo Leao praised the minister’s presence in Kyiv and questioned her about the contacts she had made with her colleague.

“This is the reason for the great national rapprochement, also European, as well as NATO countries: a matter of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” he said, saying that “the government acted irreproachably” in supporting the country.

In response to the SDP’s criticism, the Minister of Defense assured that “there were no hesitation in sending Leopard tanks to Ukraine.”

As for the training of Ukrainian military personnel for the use of Leopard 2A6 tanks, the minister stressed that this would be carried out “where it is most useful and convenient for Ukrainians,” without specifying where, but “in principle, in Germany.”

Rodrigo Saraiva, parliamentary leader of the Liberal Initiative (IL), asked the minister if she had spoken to her Brazilian counterpart about the importance of military support for Ukraine, to which Helena Carreiras replied that she had not, but hoped to do so “soon.” “, emphasizing the need to “make the world go with us.”