U.S. to Send 31 Abrams Tanks to Ukraine
January 25th, 2023Update: Up To 50 M1 Abrams Tanks Could Be Headed To Ukraine:
The U.S. government is getting closer and closer to sending dozens of M1 Abrams tanks to the Ukrainian armed forces, according to a growing number of reports. This comes as authorities in Poland have now formally requested approval from their counterparts in Germany to re-export Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. Officials in Germany have reportedly said that they would only sign off on such a deal if the Americans green-lit a transfer of Abrams.
A story from Politico says that President Joe Biden’s administration is considering a new military aid package for Ukraine that could include between 30 and 50 M1 tanks. This follows earlier reports today from The Wall Street Journal and others that U.S. officials have been edging toward a decision on transferring M1 Abrams, and that a formal announcement about a future transfer could come this week.
Via: AP – U.S. News:
The U.S. will send 31 M1 Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine, senior administration officials said Wednesday, reversing months of persistent arguments by the Biden administration that the tanks were too difficult for Ukrainian troops to operate and maintain.
The U.S. decision came on the heels of Germany agreeing to send 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks from its own stocks. Germany had said the Leopards would not be sent unless the U.S. put its Abrams on the table, not wanting to incur Russia’s wrath without the U.S. similarly committing its own tanks.
