U.S., Germany to send tanks to Ukraine in broad allied effort
The United States will send Ukraine 31 of its M1 Abrams battle tanks, adding to a German commitment to supply some of its top-line armor and infusing the country with a major new capability as it looks to pry Russian forces from the east.
The tanks will help Ukraine achieve its changing strategic objectives, President Joe Biden said Wednesday, adding that delivery of the vehicles would take time — though he didn’t say how much. The first batch of 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks, which will come from existing German stocks, could arrive in Ukraine within three months, part of a broader European promise for 100 tanks.
“The expectation on the part of Russia is we’re going to break up, we’re not going to stay united,” Biden said. “But we are fully, thoroughly, totally united.”
The decision by the United States and Germany follows a broader trend of allied nations giving Ukraine increasingly powerful weapons to counter Russia. It also marked a major reversal after weeks of tense back-and-forth discussions that threatened to strain the united front that’s been a hallmark of NATO’s strategy against President Vladimir Putin.
The United States had come under heavy pressure from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to supply its most sophisticated battle tank but had rebuffed those demands, arguing that the Abrams was ill suited for Ukraine because it requires jet fuel and extensive training, as well as massive logistical support. But Germany had balked at sending its own battle tank unless the United States and allies did the same.
Wednesday’s move also underscored just how much allied thinking has changed since the start of the war, when officials worried Zelenskyy’s forces would be overrun within days and sought to balance a desire to help against fears of escalation that could lead to a bigger war. But 11 months later, as fears of a full-blown NATO conflict with Russia have eased, allies have provided antiaircraft systems, armored vehicles, drones and other supplies they wouldn’t have dreamed of sending months ago. The focus has shifted to ousting Russian forces from the Ukrainian territory they took in the early days of the invasion.
“We are talking here about very effective weapons systems,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a statement to the lower house of parliament Wednesday. He also defended his policy of not acting alone. “It was right and it is right that we did not allow ourselves to be pushed but chose, and will continue to choose, this close cooperation,” he said.
Biden spoke with Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan was meeting with European counterparts in Washington for discussions on Ukraine aid this week, the officials said.
The announcements on both sides of the Atlantic followed consultations at the highest levels over the past weeks, including multiple phone calls between Biden and Scholz, as well as between their national security teams.
Britain had earlier committed to send its main battle tank, the Challenger. France is leaving open the possibility of sending its Leclerc tanks, but for now the focus is on sending artillery, air defense and light armor, a senior French official said.