Vox asks Defense for explanations for the "regrettable" state of the Leopard

MADRID, 8 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Vox wants the Ministry of Defense to explain the arms shipments that Spain has made to Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion last February, as well as the "unfortunate" state of the Leopard battle tanks that has prevented their transfer to the government of Volodymyr Zelensky.

In a battery of parliamentary questions, the party led by Santiago Abascal demands from the Department led by Margarita Robles the complete list of material that the Spanish Government has already sent to Ukraine.

But in addition, he wants me to reveal the list of pending requests from Ukraine, which the ambassador to Spain, Serhii Pohoreltsev, said last week after a meeting with Robles that he is at Defense disposal. "I say that if you want to help, you always look for and find a way to do it," said the diplomat, insisting that Ukraine needs more weapons to be able to face the Russian offensive.

In this sense, Vox denounces that Spain is one of the few countries of the Atlantic Alliance that has not collaborated with Ukraine by sending heavy material and is one of the countries that has lent the least amount of weapons since the beginning of the invasion.

An example, as he underlines, is the frustrated operation for the transfer to Ukraine of a dozen Leopard battle tanks, which were stored in Army facilities in Zaragoza and whose donation has been ruled out by Defense due to their "regrettable "State of conservation, as defined by the minister herself.

Vox denounces that the Leopard program dates back to 1996 and there is still 49 percent of the originally budgeted amount to be paid, which amounts to 1,228 million euros and ensures that it will not be paid until 2028.

"Why doesn't the Executive allocate more funds to support the programs operated by the Armed Forces?" Abascal's formation wants to know, emphasizing the reasons that have led the 'Leopards' to reach a degree of deterioration that makes recovery impossible.