Walter Dorn, a professor of defence studies at the Royal Military College, said the donations announced by other countries ramped up the pressure on Canada to do the same. One of the old Soviet armoured vehicles Ukrainian soldiers are using in the field. Reuters reported Wednesday that Norway's defence minister announced his country also would donate Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, joining Poland, Finland, Spain and the Netherlands. announced last week that it would send 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine. Germany, which was reluctant to incur Russia's wrath alone by sending tanks, had said the Leopards would not be sent unless the U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters in Washington that the United States will send 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

Germany made the announcement on the same day U.S. 'Germany will always be at the forefront when it comes to supporting Ukraine,' Scholz said later in an address to lawmakers in the German federal parliament. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said that Germany advised several allies of its plan ahead of the announcement, including Canada.

Several allies have those tanks in their inventories but were unable to donate them unless Germany gave its approval for the vehicles to be transferred to a third party.Įarlier Wednesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that his country would provide Ukraine with 14 Leopard 2 tanks from his own military. What the Leopard 2 tank could mean for Ukraine's fight against Russiaįor weeks, Ukraine has been asking its allies to supply it with up to 300 German-made Leopard 2 battle tanks.Ukraine presidential adviser says country could use 'several hundred' tanks.U.S., Germany to send dozens of battle tanks to Ukraine.

Canadian main battle tank