Friday, Finland announced it would provide Ukraine with its largest-ever military aid package, costing 400 million euros. Heavy artillery and explosives would be included in the box, but Leopard tanks would not.
According to Defence Minister Mikko Savola, Ukraine continues to require assistance in defending its territory.
Although no additional information was made public, a special adviser at the ministry Miikka Pynnonen told AFP that the assistance did not involve Leopard battle tanks.
The 12th delivery of Ukrainian defence hardware from the Nordic region. The eleven before them brought in 190 million euros, or roughly $205 million.
To ensure that the help “would not endanger the national defence of the two countries,” the ministry also announced that Finland would sign a so-called Statement of Intent with Sweden on support for Ukraine.
The statement read, in part, that “Sweden expresses its readiness to support Finland as necessary” due to Finland’s provision of “defence materiel” to Ukraine.
This Thursday, Sweden announced that they would be shipping armoured vehicles and anti-tank missiles to Ukraine and their Archer artillery system, a sophisticated mobile howitzer that Kyiv has been requesting for months.
Finland is only one of many countries utilising German-made Leopard tanks, and the country is under increasing pressure from its European partners to allow the export of the tank
The Finnish government is “definitely ready to play its part in that support,” Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said on Tuesday, expressing hope that the decision to deliver Leopards will be implemented.