Washington Correspondent
The USA promised its tanks to Ukraine so that Germany agrees to supply its tanks. The Biden administration on Wednesday confirmed the American decision to supply Kiev with M1 Abrams battle tanks, which served to overcome German reluctance. Revealed on Tuesday Wall Street JournalIt follows weeks of intense negotiations to persuade Berlin to allow the supply of Leopard 2 tanks. “The United States will send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine,” “as part of our efforts to provide Ukraine with the capabilities it needs to continue to better defend itself.”A senior US official announced on Wednesday after weeks of delay.
The delivery schedule has not yet been fixed and the actual deployment of the tanks may take several months.
The decision seems to be primarily aimed at breaking the diplomatic deadlock with Germany. This is also a further reversal by the United States, which has so far refused to supply these tanks to Ukraine. As with other weapons systems in the past, which were initially abandoned before finally being handed over to Kiev, the Pentagon made many excuses. “The Abrams tank is a very complex piece of equipment. It is expensive. It’s hard to train on it… It’s not the easiest system to maintain.”Pentagon chief of political affairs Colin Cull, the deputy defense secretary, said after a meeting with the Ukrainian president in Kiev last week. Defense Minister Lloyd Austin also expressed his refusal. “We shouldn’t give Ukrainians systems that they can’t fix, they can’t maintain and they can’t afford in the long run, because it’s not useful.”
Operating in the Middle East
Not all experts were convinced by these clarifications. The Abrams tank is a tank that has served for several decades in many armies, especially in the Middle East. The Iraqi forces, which have used it to retake their territory against the Islamic State, do not have particularly complex logistics. The car is also powered by a turbine that can run on all types of fuel, from kerosene to diesel.
On Sunday, returning from a trip to Kiev, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a member of the budget committee, said she was frustrated by the delay by Western countries. “I’ve had enough of this charade about who will send tanks and when.”, he announced at the press conference upon his return from Ukraine. On Wednesday, he said to himself. “very happy” change of democratic administration. “By providing tanks, we give Ukraine a better chance to repel the Russian invasion and regain control of their country. Tanks are not designed to invade Russia or start World War III.” but for “Give Ukraine a military opportunity to win the just war of liberation from Russian invasion on the battlefield.”.
Source: Le Figaro
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.