US, Germany to send battle tanks to Ukraine
GERMANY and the United States announced on Wednesday they would supply heavy battle tanks to Ukraine to confront invading Russian forces and retake conquered territory.
The US will send 31 M1 Abrams tanks, which is the US Army’s premier battle tank, while Germany will send 1 of its sophisticated Leopard 2s, which the Bundeswehr calls a “predator on tracks.” Ukraine has been pleading for the West to send its most powerful weapons, saying Western-built tanks were needed to push back Russian forces in the south and east.
“That’s what this is about - helping Ukraine defend and protect Ukrainian land. It is not an offensive threat to Russia, there is no offensive threat to Russia,” US President Joe Biden said at the White House.
Biden’s announcement came just hours after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Berlin would send 1 Leopard 2s from its own military stocks.
His government has wrung its hands for months over the delivery of the tanks, fearing
they could provoke Moscow to escalate the war.
Berlin’s goal is to quickly assemble two tank battalions with Leopard 2s with the addition of tanks from other European countries, such as Poland, Finland, Norway and Spain.
Scholz rejected accusations that Germany had done too little to provide military support to Ukraine. “Germany will
always be out in front when it comes to supporting Ukraine,” he told parliament.
His Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said that training and fixing tank supply routes would now begin very quickly following the “historic” decision.
The first Leopard battle tanks from Germany could be in Ukraine in about three months, the government said. The German
government will also issue the necessary export licences for other countries to send the German-made tanks.
Biden admitted that getting the US’ Abrams tanks to Ukraine could be a lengthy process.
“Delivering these tanks to the field is going to take time. Time that we’ll see and we’ll use to make sure the Ukrainians are fully prepared,” he said.