Germany aside, why is Biden getting a pass for not sending tanks to Ukraine?
Tom Rogan
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A question few want to ask: Why is President Joe Biden getting a free pass from much of the media in refusing to send U.S. Abrams M1A2 tanks to Ukraine?
The Biden administration says the Abrams is too complicated for Ukrainian forces to learn how to operate quickly and that the tank is ill-suited to Ukraine’s needs. But as I noted on Thursday, these excuses do not survive close scrutiny. Indeed, the Abrams was designed to fight Russian tanks on European terrain. The tank is very fast and possesses a long-range, high-power gun: key advantages for Ukrainian crews likely to be outmanned by Russian forces.
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Instead of asking difficult questions of the Biden administration, which likes inventing excuses for not providing Ukraine with certain weapons, the commentariat is focusing its ire on Germany. Specifically, on Berlin’s failure to transfer its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. Germany says it won’t transfer these tanks unless the United States first transfers at least a symbolic number of Abrams to Ukraine. Nor has Germany yet authorized allies such as Poland, which bought the tanks from Germany, to transfer their Leopard 2s to Ukraine (if Germany does not expedite approval, Poland now says it will transfer the tanks regardless).
So far, only the United Kingdom has committed to sending tanks, its Challenger 2, to Ukraine. This reflects the higher risk tolerance of the U.K. government and military, as best evinced by the figurative and literal forward-leaning presence of U.K. special forces in Ukraine.
Still, it is ridiculous that the Biden administration is getting a free pass for failing to provide Abrams. Yes, Berlin is very regularly deserving of great criticism over its foreign policy. Yes, the Leopard 2 is best suited to Ukraine’s training and operational needs. And yes, it is pathetic that Berlin has not even authorized its allies to provide their own Leopard 2s to Ukraine. That said, even a symbolic provision of Abrams would provide the diplomatic cover Germany seeks. Equally important, it would also nudge other allies, such as France and Spain, to provide their own tanks.
The underlying principle here is that of America’s role as leader of the NATO alliance and of democratic security. Throwing the blame on Germany even while he hides behind false excuses for his own inaction, Biden isn’t just failing Ukraine, he’s neglecting his role as leader of the free world. Vladimir Putin must be loving it.
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