Leopard 2 tanks pledged by Western partners to Kyiv will begin arriving by March, Polish defense minister Mariusz Blaszczak said following the Ramstein format meeting of Ukraine's defense partners in Brussels on Feb. 14.
Germany is currently building a coalition of countries with Leopard tanks in their arsenal that already includes countries like Poland, Norway, Spain, and Canada. The Polish Defense Minister added that more countries have declared their participation in the coalition.
"We are working to ensure that Finland also provides these tanks. Today, the Finnish (defense) minister said he's very close to making a decision," said Blaszczak.
According to Blaszczak, Ukrainian soldiers currently undergoing training in Poland will be ready to operate Leopard 2 tanks by mid-March.
Speaking on Ukrainian television, German foreign minister said on Feb. 14 that the Ukrainian tank crews currently training on Leopard models in Germany "could return to Ukraine together with the tanks."
Poland was the first country to pledge Western-built tanks to Ukraine, soon followed by the U.K., after which Germany and other nations announced their own pledges.