Croatia is to supply Ukraine with 30 battle tanks and 30 infantry fighting vehicles from the Cold War era with support from Germany, according to an agreement signed in Berlin on Monday.
“The first will be handed over to Ukraine this year,” German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said after signing the deal with his Croatian counterpart Ivan Anušić.
The agreement includes spares and ammunition. The armour derives from Yugoslavian production but is reported by Zagreb to be in good condition.
Germany is to provide financial support to its NATO partner in the purchase of the latest German-made Leopard 2A8 battle tanks.
While the conservative government of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković is prepared to support Ukraine with arms, left-wing President Zoran Milanović is strongly against military aid to Ukraine.
As formal commander-in-chief of Croatia’s armed forces, he has attempted to block Croatian officers from participating in the newly formed NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU).
Ukraine has been fending off a full-scale Russian invasion since 2022 and heavily depends on military support from its partners.
