US to send 31 advanced Abrams tanks to Ukraine, signaling new phase of war with Russia
- Biden announced the decision at the White House, thanking Germany for ‘stepping up’ to supply Kyiv with its own Leopard 2 tanks
- Washington had initially resisted providing the powerful vehicles, but changed tack to help break a diplomatic logjam with Berlin over how best to help Ukraine
The United States announced on Wednesday it will supply Ukraine with 31 advanced M1 Abrams tanks in a matter of months, a decision that helped break a diplomatic logjam with Germany over how best to help Kyiv in its war against Russia.
President Joe Biden announced the decision in remarks at the White House, saying the tanks are needed to help the Ukrainians “improve their ability to manoeuvre in open terrain”.
Biden thanked Germany for its decision to supply Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks. “Germany has really stepped up,” he said.
“The expectation on the part of Russia is we’re going to break up,” Biden said of the US and European allies. “But we are fully, totally and thoroughly united.”
The United States had been cool to the idea of deploying the difficult-to-maintain Abrams tanks but had to change tack to persuade Germany to send its more easily used Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
Still, the Abrams – among the most powerful US tanks – will not be heading to Ukraine any time soon.