Spain will send six 2A4 Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine, Defence Minister Margarita Robles told lawmakers in Madrid on Wednesday.
More of the German-made tanks could be supplied to Kiev "if it becomes necessary," she said.
The Leopards Spain plans to send come from stocks that have been mothballed since 2012 and still need to undergo repairs, she said.
Spain has a total of 347 Leopard tanks. Of these, 108 belong to the older 2A4 type and 239 to the newer 2A6 type.
However, Spain does not want to give any of these newer, more powerful tanks to Ukraine. They are needed for Spain's own national defence, Robles said.
Germany and Portugal have agreed to supply 14 and three Leopard 2A6s respectively. For the complete Ukrainian tank battalion consisting of 31 vehicles of this newer type, 14 tanks are still missing.
Last week, 55 Ukrainians arrived in Spain to be trained on a fast-track basis as crew members and technicians on the Leopard tanks. A Leopard has four crew members.
