In public statements, Washington and Berlin had denied any connection between their respective decisions on tanks, although media reports said German officials had made clear in private that the Leopards were conditional on the US making a similar commitment. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the decision, and said he is “sincerely grateful” to Chancellor Olaf Scholz.īy agreeing to send the Abrams, the US is able to meet Scholz’s demand for an American commitment but without having to send the tanks immediately. Chancellor Olaf Scholz also said his government plans to send further military support to Ukraine beyond the 14 Leopard 2A6 tanks announced earlier today. Germany has confirmed it will make 14 Leopard 2A6 tanks available for Ukraine’s war effort. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, thanked Biden for the “powerful decision” and described it as “an important step on the path to victory”. Earlier, the president had spoken by phone with president Emmanuel Macron of France, Olaf Scholz of Germany, prime minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy and prime minister Rishi Sunak of Britain. Until now, the US has resisted providing its own M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, citing extensive and complex maintenance and logistical challenges with the hi-tech vehicles. President Joe Biden has approved sending 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, a significant escalation in the US effort to counter Russian aggression.
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