Andrzej Duda watched as Ukrainian tank crews underwent training in the southwestern Polish village of Świętoszów on Monday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
The president, who was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak, met with the Ukrainian soldiers and their Polish instructors.
Addressing the servicemen, Duda said that Poland had decided to supply a company of German-made Leopard 2 main battle tanks at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “so that Ukraine can stand up to the Russian assault.”
Duda added: “We have urged our allies to also provide Leopards and other tanks to Ukraine as part of the assistance component. We would like an entire tank brigade to be deployed. We’ve had a positive response from our allies ... We are hopeful that soon this whole tank brigade will be put at Ukraine’s disposal.”
Duda also said that the tank brigade would provide "an important boost to the Ukrainian forces" and help them repel an anticipated new Russian offensive.
The training programme lasts more than one month and covers the entire training cycle, the PAP news agency reported.
The president told reporters that Polish tank instructors had "teamed up with their colleagues from Canada and Norway."
He said that “the tank coalition for Ukraine” was designed "not just to assemble the necessary equipment," but also train Ukrainian troops, so that “they are ready and able to move to stand up to the Russian offensive.”
Duda revealed that Ukrainian troops were also being trained on Polish-made Krab self-propelled gun howitzers and the Piorun (Thunderbolt) man-portable air defence system, the PAP news agency reported.
Monday is day 355 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, polsatnews.pl