Finland’s Council of State grants Estonia permission to deliver 122-mm howitzers to Ukraine. The decision was made at an emergency meeting on providing Ukraine with additional aid. This was reported by Interfax with reference to Finnish Minister of Defense Antti Kaikkonen.
Estonia has offered to supply Ukraine with Soviet D30 122-mm howitzers purchased in Finland in 2009 (previously owned by Germany), as well as American-made Javelin anti-tank missiles. To make the delivery, the consent of the former owners of the weapons was required. The United States granted such permission immediately, and the Javelins are already in Ukraine. At the same time, until recently Germany refused to allow the delivery of howitzers, but later granted permission to re-export its weapons to Ukraine.
In addition, Ukraine will receive 2,000 bulletproof vests, 2,000 helmets, 100 stretchers and first aid kits. Until now, Finland provided Ukraine only with humanitarian and financial aid.
As mentioned before, the European Union will finance the purchase and delivery of weapons for Ukraine to help it repel the Russian army. This will be the first such case for the EU.