The Dutch government will ask Switzerland for permission to buy Leopard 1 heavy tanks from a Swiss company in order to make them available to the Ukrainian army, Dutch news agency ANP reported Thursday, citing unnamed sources.

In February, Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s government announced it would deliver at least 100 older-technology Leopard 1 heavy tanks to the Ukrainian armed forces in cooperation with Germany and Denmark.

The defense ministry said the purchase referred to by the ANP is part of the original plan, but declined to go into details. Mr Rutte’s services did not immediately respond when asked by Reuters for comment.

Last month, the Swiss government approved the withdrawal from service of 25 more advanced Leopard 2s for resale in Germany.

The issue of the sale of tanks is particularly sensitive in Switzerland, where the country’s neutrality law and the ban on arms sales to belligerent countries preclude direct arms deliveries to Ukraine, although the Swiss government says it is in favor despite repeated requests from the side of Kiev.