US President Joe Biden is expected to approve sending M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, sources said on Tuesday, as Germany also announced it would send its Leopard tanks to support Kyiv in its fight against Russia.
US officials said the details are still being worked out. One official said the tanks would be purchased as part of an upcoming Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative package that provides long-term funding for the purchase of weapons and equipment from commercial suppliers.
The US announcement is expected to align with Germany’s announcement that it will grant Poland’s request to transfer German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, one official said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as the decision has not yet been made public.
By agreeing to send the Abrams at an as yet unspecified time as part of the relief initiative, the administration can satisfy German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s demand for American commitment without having to send tanks immediately.
So far, most aid has been channeled under a separate program using Pentagon stockpiles to get weapons to Ukraine more quickly. But even under this program, it will take months to get the tanks to Ukraine and train Ukrainian forces on them.
It is not known how many tanks will be approved.
So far, the US has resisted supplying Ukraine with its own M1 Abrams tanks, citing extensive and complex maintenance and logistical problems with the high-tech vehicles. Washington believes that it would be more productive to send them, since many allies have them, and Ukrainian troops will require less training than on more complex Abrams.
Just last week, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl told reporters that the Abrams is a complex, expensive, difficult to maintain and difficult to train piece of equipment. According to him, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is focusing on one thing: “We should not supply the Ukrainians with systems that they cannot repair, that they cannot maintain, and that they cannot afford in the long run because it is useless.” .
A US official familiar with the White House’s mindset said the administration’s initial hesitation was based on concerns about the necessary tank training and support. The official added that the administration believes that such plans are already in place, but it may take time to implement them.
At the Pentagon, a representative of Brig. General Pat Ryder said he had nothing to report on any U.S. decision regarding the Abrams tanks. But he said: “Every time we have provided Ukraine with some kind of system, we have provided opportunities for training and support.”
The administration’s failure comes just days after a coalition of more than 50 senior defense officials from Europe and beyond, with battle tanks being the main topic.
Ukrainian leaders are urgently requesting tanks, either for their own tanks or to clear the way for other countries, such as Poland, to send German-made tanks from their own stocks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the deployment of Western tanks would have “definitely negative” consequences.
Defense chiefs from countries with Leopard 2 tanks met with the Germans during Friday’s conference at Ramstein Air Base to work out an agreement.
On Sunday, Berlin signaled that it would not interfere if other countries wanted to send Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv. Germany must agree to the transfer of tanks to Ukraine, which is not a member of NATO.
US and German officials gave mixed signals about whether the US and German decisions were related and whether Berlin hesitated to send its tanks unless the US sent Abrams.
Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Tuesday that Poland had formally asked Germany for permission to transfer its Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine.
German officials confirmed to the dpa news agency that they had received the application and said it would be considered “as a matter of urgency”. German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock said on Sunday that Berlin would not try to stop Poland from providing Kyiv with high-tech armor.
German officials declined to comment on reports of the tank deal. The weekly news weekly Der Spiegel reported on Tuesday, without citing a source, that Germany would provide Ukraine with at least one company of Leopard 2 tanks from its own army stocks. On Wednesday, Scholz is due to address parliament and answer questions from lawmakers, many of whom are pushing for the government to join allies in supplying tanks to Ukraine.
Lawmakers in Congress are also pushing the US to increase aid to Ukraine.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that the Biden administration and its allies “is high time, long overdue” to send more military aid to Ukraine, and that the US should provide more tanks and weapons to help Ukraine “win this war.”
“It is high time that the Biden administration and our allies get serious about helping Ukraine finish the job and take back their country.”
The likely plans to send Abrams were first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
