Norway will donate eight Leopard 2 main battle tanks and up to four support vehicles to Ukraine, the Norwegian Defense Ministry reported on Feb. 14. The "tanks package" will also include ammunition and spare parts, reads the report.
Norway will also contribute to the training of Ukrainian tank crews in Poland together with other allies, according to the country's Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gram.
"The aim of Norwegian military support to Ukraine is to enable the country to defend itself against Russia's attacks and regain control over its territory," said Gram.
Norway announced its plans to send German-made Leopard 2A4 to Ukraine on Jan. 25 but didn't initially specify the number of tanks to be delivered. Norway has a total of 36 Leopard 2s in its arsenal.
According to Gram, the Leopard tanks could arrive in Ukraine as soon as the end of March.
Earlier on Feb. 14, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin named Norway as one of the countries that have started preparations for transferring Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine or have given a corresponding commitment.
Except for Norway, those countries include Germany, Poland, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Denmark, and the Netherlands, according to Austin.
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