It was not clear when the tanks, which need major refurbishing, will arrive in Ukraine, or even how many will prove usable. The deal seems to end an awkward situation which embarrassed Belgium and raised questions about how so many battle tanks ended up in the hands of a private Belgian dealer and why NATO allies could not get them to Kyiv more quickly. “The fact that they leave our company proves that we asked for a fair market price and someone was more than happy to take them,” he wrote on LinkedIn. Versluys did not disclose the price paid for the tanks or other details of the deal, but he disputed accounts that he had demanded 500,000 euros per vehicle after purchasing them for 15,000 euros each. Earlier this year, as allies debated if and how to get tanks to Ukraine, Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder said her country was seeking to re-buy the Leopards, but was quoted an “unreasonable price.” Versluys bought the tanks years ago when the Belgian army sold them as part of cost-cutting measures. “I am glad they will finally join the fight for freedom,” the dealer, Freddy Versluys, who is chief executive of the defense company OIP Land Systems, wrote in a LinkedIn post along with a photo featuring rows of tanks in a hanger along with a bottle of “Ukrainian Freedom” brand vodka. BRUSSELS - Dozens of Leopard 1 tanks could be overhauled and sent to Ukraine after an unidentified buyer purchased the German-made fighting vehicles from a private Belgian dealer.
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