White House approves sending Abrams tanks to Ukraine

The White House will send 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, part of a co-ordinated move with Germany and other European nations.

Ukraine will receive 31 Abrams tanks from the US.

The White House has formally announced that it is sending 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, part of a co-ordinated move in which Germany and other European nations will also send their own tanks to the fight in time for a coming offensive.

The move – a welcome 45th birthday present for Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky – quashes, for now, the rumblings of dissent within an alliance that formed last year to support Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden announced he would provide Ukraine with 31 Abrams battle tanks while Germany would eventually provide around 80, coming on top of 14 committed by the UK and others now to be released by Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Finland and Portugal.

Mr Biden denied being bounced into the decision by German chancellor Olaf Scholz who had prevaricated on providing the easier to use Leopard II tanks alone in case Germany became a Russian target as a result.

“Germany didn’t force me to change my mind,” Mr Biden said. “I wanted to make sure we’re all together … as we’re doing right now.”

In remarks at the White House, President Biden said the tanks would “enhance the Ukrainians’ capacity to defend its territory and achieve its strategic objectives.” He said the delivery of the tanks shouldn’t be seen by Russia as an offensive threat, contending that they are intended to help Ukraine defend itself.

“The Abrams tanks are the most capable tanks in the world, they’re also extremely complex to operate and maintain,” he said, adding later, “Delivering these tanks to the field is going to take time — time that we’ll use to make sure the Ukrainians are fully prepared to integrate the Abrams tanks into their defences.”

Mr Zelensky thanked Mr Biden for taking such a “powerful decision”. “It’s an important step on the path to victory,” he said.

Mr Zelensky had wanted 300 tanks to drive Russia out of Ukraine, but the decision by the US, taken in conjunction with Germany, France, Italy and the UK, to supply over 100 has angered the Kremlin.

However Mr Biden warned the American tanks would not be delivered immediately, with the European Leopard tanks – which also use much less fuel than the Abrams – expected to be available much more quickly to the Ukrainians.

“Delivering these (Abrams) tanks to the field is going to take time,’’ Mr Biden said.

“Time that we’ll see and we’ll use to make sure the Ukrainians are fully prepared.”

Mr Biden said he wanted to make sure western allies acted in co-ordination and he had held a five way telephone conference with leaders of the UK, France, Germany and Italy.

“We are thoroughly united” he said, insisting the decision was not an act of offence against Russia.

Joe Biden announced the US would send Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

But the decision by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who waited for such support by the Americans before committing to supplying Leopard II tanks, and allowing third countries such as Poland and Norway to also supply the tanks, has not ameliorated Russia’s anger.

Russian television commentators suggested on prime time television that German territory and army bases would be a legitimate target if German tanks enter Ukraine.

The Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergey Nechaev said Mr Scholz’s decision to send tanks to Kyiv was “highly dangerous”, and “takes the conflict to a new level of confrontation.”

Mr Nechaev said: ”Yet again we find out that Germany, much like its nearest allies, is not interested in a diplomatic resolution of the Ukrainian crisis and is bent on its permanent escalation and the unlimited flooding of the Kyiv regime with more deadly weapons. ‘Red lines’ are a thing of the past. With the permission of the German leadership, battle tanks with German crosses will be dispatched again to the ‘Eastern front,’ which will inevitably lead to the deaths of not only Russian soldiers but also civilians.”

Russia’s ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said the American announcement was a “blatant provocation against the Russian Federation”.

Mr Scholz told the German parliament the country would immediately send 14 tanks of what will be eventually around 80 tanks, or two battalions, to Ukraine.

Mr Scholz said: “I need to explicitly say it was right, and it keeps on being right, to not have been pushed forward but to have waited for international co-operation to take place.

“It is correct to never go it alone but to always provide these weapons in close agreement with the partners.

“It’s not far away from Berlin that a war on a big country is taking place. We want to avoid an escalation of this war so that it doesn’t become a war between Russia and NATO.’’

Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the “decisive, collective action” would be a catalyst for others to follow suit and he called for allies to intensify their support in the coming weeks and months.

Mr Sunak said it was clear Russia was on the backfoot and there was a window for international partners to accelerate efforts to secure lasting peace for Ukraine.

With Dow Jones