Germany and Slovenia have concluded an agreement under which Slovenia will send 28 Soviet tanks to Ukraine and receive 40 modern military trucks from Germany, the German Defense Ministry said, AP reported.

Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht agreed to sign a letter of intent for the deal with her Slovenian counterpart Marjan Šarec.

The agreement calls for Slovenia to transfer 28 M-55C tanks to Ukraine and receive 40 military trucks.

Germany seeks to promote such deals in which eastern NATO allies hand over Soviet-era equipment to Kiev and receive modern equipment from Germany. Agreements have previously been reached with the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Greece.

Germany argues that this is an effective way to deliver materials to Ukraine, with which the military countries are familiar.

Berlin has so far refrained from supplying Western-designed tanks to Ukraine, arguing that other allies have not done so, and Germany will not go it alone.