Spain plans to supply Ukraine with 10 German-made Leopard battle tanks of the older 2A4 type - with six to arrive in the next two weeks - but will not send Kiev fighter jets, Defence Minister Margarita Robles said on Wednesday
The other four tanks will have to be sent at a later date because they must undergo repairs to make them fit for service, she said during a parliamentary debate on Spanish military aid to Ukraine.
The dispatch of fighter jets was "categorically" ruled out by the minister.
She said Spain does not have F-16 fighter jets of the type Ukraine would like to obtain. Other models are out of the question because Ukrainian pilots would need a training period of up to two years, Robles argued in the lower house of parliament.
She said an escalation of fighting in Ukraine was expected, which could lead to a "bloody spring."
The exact date for sending the first Leopard tanks from Spain was still open.
The newspaper El País reported on Wednesday, citing the government, that repairs on the first six vehicles had been completed, but that the tanks still must be tested before delivery in Córdoba in the south of the country.
In recent weeks, 55 Ukrainians have been trained on the Leopards in Spain as crew members and technicians.
In total, Spain has 347 Leopard tanks. Of these, 108 belong to the older 2A4 variant and 239 to the newer 2A6 type. Spain has not pledged to hand over any of these newer, more powerful tanks to Ukraine, arguing they are needed for the country's own defence.
The Ukrainian armed forces have already received some 30 Leopard 2 tanks from Germany, Canada and Poland to fend off Russian attackers. In addition to the Leopards, Ukraine has also received other tank models and armoured vehicles, and some allies have promised fighter jets.
