Both Germany and the United States announced on Wednesday that they will be aiding Ukraine break combat stalemates against Russia by sending battle tanks.
The announcement marks stage one of a coordinated effort by Western countries to provide Ukraine with heavy weaponry.
Germany first agreed to send 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks, which it had refused to do so unless the US put its 31 M1 Abrams tanks in Ukraine. US President Joe Biden agreed to do so after months of holding back as, according to him, they were too difficult for Ukrainian troops to operate.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that this is the result of intensive consultations with allies and international partners. Biden backed him up, saying European allies have agreed to send enough tanks to equip two Ukrainian tank battalions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described this as the creation of a ‘tank coalition’, and continued on to say that Ukraine will push for more weapons such as long-range missiles and even aircraft.
It was revealed by various Ukrainian officials and figures that their troops have had to deal with equipment breakdown as well as a low stocked arsenal as Russia continued to attack.
France, the UK, the US, Germany, Poland, Sweden and the Netherlands have all agreed to send tanks and other armoured vehicles to aid Ukraine. However, Russia’s ambassador to Germany, Sergey Nechayev, called the decision extremely dangerous as it shifts the conflict to a new level of confrontation.
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