Specifically, the United States is delivering 31 M1 Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine. Berlin will initially deliver 14 Leopard 2A6 tanks – and give the necessary approval for the delivery of Leopard tanks from the stocks of other NATO countries. US President Joe Biden announced the US tank delivery himself. The US delivery is the size of a Ukrainian tank battalion, Biden said in the White House.
However, according to a US government representative, “months” should pass before the US battle tanks are actually delivered. The German tanks should also not be ready for action in Ukraine for around three months. To do this, Ukrainian units must first be trained on the devices.
Biden: “It will take some time”
The delivery of the Abrams tanks to Ukraine, according to Biden, “will take some time”. The time should now be used to ensure that Ukrainians are fully prepared to “integrate the Abrams tanks into their defenses,” Biden said in Washington on Wednesday. “The Abrams tanks are the most capable tanks in the world, but they are also extremely complex to operate and maintain.” The US government previously announced that it would supply Ukraine with 31 M1 Abrams main battle tanks. The US is ordering the tanks from industry, so it was unclear when they would arrive in Ukraine.
Scholz (SPD) announced on Wednesday the delivery of initially 14 German Leopard 2 main battle tanks from Bundeswehr stocks to Ukraine. He had rejected such a delivery for weeks and emphasized that he did not want to go it alone – even at a time when not only the opposition Union, but also his coalition partners FDP and Greens had long been pushing him and sometimes attacked him with sharp words.
Scholz prevails
Scholz was ultimately successful with his hesitation, because the USA made a U-turn after initially always refusing to supply tanks. In doing so, the United States is responding to the German Chancellor’s fears that delivery of German battle tanks only through European states could expose Germany or Europe to Russia in particular.
Scholz could also have had the medium-term unpredictable domestic political developments in the United States in mind. With the delivery of tanks, the United States has committed itself to supporting Ukraine side by side with its European partners, even after a possible change of mood and, above all, a change of power in two years.
Scholz: Will deliver Leopard tanks to Ukraine
Speaking to the German Bundestag, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that Germany would supply Ukraine with Leopard 2 main battle tanks. In addition, they want to allow the partner countries to deliver such tanks and take care of training, maintenance and ammunition supplies. Scholz emphasized that the principle is to make what is necessary possible while at the same time avoiding an escalation into a conflict between NATO and Russia. “We will continue to observe this principle,” said Scholz.
Biden also under pressure in the USA
Biden had recently been urged by US politicians from both parties to deliver Abrams tanks to Ukraine in order to enable a German delivery of Leopard tanks. So far, the US government has refused to provide Ukraine with Abrams tanks.
The Department of Defense in Washington argued that the main battle tank was too expensive, required extensive training, was difficult to maintain and, with its turbine engine, consumed a lot of fuel.
