German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told members of parliament in Berlin that it took some time to confirm that sending the tanks now is the right move. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his armed forces need the stronger, more maneuverable tanks to fight off Russian forces across the country.Įarlier Wednesday, German officials agreed to send dozens of its Leopard tanks to Ukraine. “It's about the kind of world we want to live in, the world we want to leave to our children."īiden and the Pentagon have been asked repeatedly in recent days about Ukraine’s requests for tanks such as the M1 Abrams and the German-made Leopard 2. "This is about freedom - freedom for Ukraine, freedom everywhere,” he added. "The Abrams tanks are the most capable tanks in the world." “It will enhance Ukraine's capacity to defend its territory and achieve strategic objectives," Biden said in his announcement at the White House. will send Ukraine eight tactical recovery vehicles, support vehicles, and equipment and funding for “training, maintenance and sustainment,” the Pentagon said.
The officials also said training Ukrainian troops on the Abrams is part of the deal, and it will take place at an undisclosed location somewhere outside Ukraine.Īlong with the announcement of Abrams tanks, the U.S. The officials said it would be several months before Ukraine receives the tanks. Providing weapons and equipment through funding from the initiative is a longer process, and the tanks will be procured from the defense industry and not taken from Defense Department stocks. officials did not specify which variant of the Abrams - the M1A1 or the M1A2 - would be sent to Ukraine, but they said the tanks will be procured through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative rather than the presidential drawdown authority.
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