German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says that the Allies will try to provide Ukraine with two tank battalions as soon as possible, and Germany will take the first step by sending 14 “Leopard 2” tanks to Ukraine. Training of Ukrainian tankers in Germany will begin soon; Germany will also help Ukraine with supplies and ammunition.
It is expected that the US government, which is preparing to supply Ukrainians with “Abrams” tanks, could also announce the sending of tanks to Ukraine on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin has announced that these tanks will not change the situation at the front and will “burn up like all the others”.
Time is very important for Ukrainians
Germany and the USA had been hesitating for a long time to make a decision about sending tanks to Ukraine, but now they managed to reach an agreement in the talks between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President Joe Biden.
Recently, Germany, as the most influential country in the European Union, has been under a lot of pressure, because Ukraine’s allies believe that it is Germany’s duty to help Ukraine more actively, so that the Ukrainians can defeat the Russian invaders.
The Biden administration will probably announce the decision to provide Ukraine with Abrams battle tanks as early as Wednesday, according to sources in the White House, the media reports. Initially, the Americans could supply the Ukrainians with 30 to 150 tanks.
German Chancellor Scholz, on the other hand decided to give to Ukraine 14 “Leopard” tanks, as well as not to put obstacles in the way of other countries that decide to supply Ukraine with German tanks.
Richard Blumenthal, a member of the US Senate Armed Forces Committee from the Democratic Party, believes that the allocation of “Abrams” and “Leopard” tanks to Ukraine would be very significant not only militarily, but also politically.
“The tanks are important to show Putin that he will not succeed in dividing his allies, which has been his long-term goal.
The war is in a decisive phase, this is a time of maximum danger, but at the same time it also presents a huge opportunity,” says Blumenthal.
“It cannot be expressed in words how important time is. We can learn a great lesson from this experience. We have given the Ukrainians everything they have asked for, but it has often been delayed,” the senator said in an interview with CNN.
“Leopard” tanks could be delivered faster
Military experts predict that “Leopard” tanks could appear on the front in Ukraine within the next two or three months, because these tanks are in the arsenal of several NATO member states and partner countries, so they could be delivered to Ukraine faster.
Several European countries have expressed their readiness to supply “Leopard” tanks to Ukraine: Poland, Finland, Spain, Portugal, etc.
Leopards are more affordable because these tanks run on diesel fuel and are easier to repair and maintain.
American tank “Abrams” Photo: AFP, MATEUSZ SLODKOWSKI
On the other hand, “Abrams” tanks are only in the US arsenal, so their delivery to Ukraine would take more time, and their operation is much more expensive. For this reason, “Abrams” tanks could appear on the front only after about six or eight months.
The Kremlin feigns indifference
Britain was the first of the Western countries to announce that it would provide Ukraine with tanks. The British will hand over 14 Challenger tanks to the Ukrainians.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin has reacted to the news about the allocation of Western tanks to Ukraine with apparent indifference. Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the Russian president, has stated that this is an absurd idea and that the West greatly overestimates Ukraine’s military potential.
“We repeat that these tanks will burn like all the others,” Peskov claims.
So far, Ukraine has fared better in destroying enemy military equipment. According to the information provided by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, more than 3,100 Russian tanks and 6,300 armored vehicles have already been destroyed in Ukraine, and Russian troops have also lost around 123,000 soldiers.
Highlight the text and press Ctrl+Enterto send the text fragment to be corrected to the editor!
Highlight the text and press on Report a bug buttons to send the text fragment to be corrected to the editor!
