The Belgian authorities want to buy the Leopard 1 tanks from the businessman, which they sold to him a few years ago.
The Belgian Ministry of Defense is in talks with businessman Freddy Versluys to buy Leopard 1 tanks from him for Ukraine, Reuters reports.
Arms dealer Freddy Versluys once bought decommissioned tanks from the Belgian government and is now ready to sell them again, but at a significant markup. A few years ago, his company bought 50 Leopard 1 tanks.
“There are still countries in the world that have these Leopard 1 tanks. So there is always an opportunity to sell parts or sell additional tanks altogether,” said Versluys.
According to him, representatives of the Belgian Ministry of Defense contacted him about the purchase of tanks to send them to Ukraine.
The defense department noted that they sell tanks to the buyer for 10-15 thousand euros per unit, while the new price tag he proposed is from 300 to 500 thousand euros per unit.
Versluys said his company bought 50 tanks for about 2 million euros, and only 33 of them were available. The cost of machines also includes work on their re-equipment and maintenance.
It was noted that the updated Leopard 1 tanks could be ready for shipment to Ukraine within a few months. Despite the significant price difference, the Belgian authorities continue negotiations with the owner of an entire tank arsenal.
The Leopard 1 is the predecessor of the Leopard 2 tanks that Germany, Poland, Finland and other countries have agreed to send to Ukraine. It is lighter than the Leopard 2 and has a different type of main gun.
Remember, last week it was reported that Belgium allocated the largest aid package for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Earlier in January, President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed Ukraine’s defense needs with the Belgian prime minister.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.