US sends 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine

US President Joe Biden promised that America would send tanks to Ukraine to fight Russia. It concerns 31 Abrams tanks. The commitment came after German Chancellor Scholz had previously agreed to send Leopard tanks.

Lots of support

Biden said during his speech that the United States did not want to provoke Russia by sending tanks. Yet the White House wants to take that risk, says US correspondent Jan Postma, because they will deliver the tanks. The US president also mentioned many of his allies during his speech and he also praised Germany for stepping up its military support for Ukraine.

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According to Postma, there is still broad support for Ukraine in the fight against Russia within the United States: “You always see Ukrainian flags in the street and you also notice it in Congress, where a large majority was in favor sending the tanks”. There is, however, a small part – especially among the far right – who think that too much money is going to Ukraine.

Milestone

Ukrainian President Zelensky called sending the Abrams tanks via Twitter “an important step towards victory”.

The text continues below the tweet.

Abrams Chariots

Modern Abrams tanks are heavily armored and largely similar to the Leopards sent from Germany. In the United States, logistical problems are mainly cited as a reason for not sending the tanks earlier. Abrams run on kerosene instead of diesel and are therefore much more complicated to maintain. In addition, they are more difficult to control. Officials say it will take months to bring the tanks to Ukraine. In the coming period, the Ukrainian army will be trained by the United States to learn how to deal with the Abrams.

Read also | Why the Russians are afraid of Western tanks

According to official figures, the United States has about 6,000 Abrams. In addition to Germany, Poland and Norway also agreed to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine. Several European countries are also said to be considering deliveries, now that Berlin has authorized the transport of the Leopards. The UK is sending fourteen Challenger 2 tanks. Just before the speech, Biden called Scholz, but also British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.