"This time the enemy stands no chance". Ukraine's leaders thank Poland for offering its tanks

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday (Jan.27) thanked his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda, as well as Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak, and National Security Bureau Head Jacek Siewiera, and the Polish nation "for such important decisions on handing Ukraine 60 Polish tanks, of which 30 are the famous PT-91 Twardy, and 14 Leopard-2s".

"Just like 160 years ago, we stand together, but this time the enemy stands no chance. Together we will win!" - he stressed.

Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal expressed his gratitude in a similar vein. "Poland will hand over 60 tanks to Ukraine. The famous Leopard-2 and PT-91 Twardy will strengthen Armed Forces. I'm grateful to prime minister Morawiecki and all the Polish people for their strong support for Ukraine on the way to victory," he wrote in a tweet.

Warsaw, which has positioned itself as one of Kyiv's staunchest allies, had pressed hard for Germany to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and to allow other countries to do so as well, a demand which Berlin agreed to on Wednesday.

"Poland sent 250 tanks as the first country half a year ago or even more than that," Mateusz Morawiecki told CTV News.

In April last year, two months after Russia invaded Ukraine, Poland said it had sent tanks to held Kyiv fend off the assault.

"Right now, we are ready to send 60 of our modernised tanks, 30 of them PT-91. And on top of those tanks, 14 tanks, Leopard 2 tanks, from in our possession."

The PT-91 is a Polish-made battle tank that came into service in the 1990s. It was developed from the Soviet-era T-72 range.

Canada on Thursday announced that it would send four Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine. Norway has also said it will send Leopards while Spain said it was open to providing them.

Ukraine has said it needs hundreds of the Leopards to drive Russia from its territory.