US to provide Ukraine with Abrams tanks: Reports
Mike Brest
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The Biden administration is finalizing a plan to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine, which would be a reversal of recent policy decisions.
It’s unclear when the tanks would actually be delivered, and the standard training takes several months, though the announcement could come as soon as Wednesday. Officials from the White House and Pentagon declined to comment on Tuesday.
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Should the administration go through with the plan, it likely will solve the current stalemate in Europe on providing tanks to Ukraine. Berlin is still considering whether to provide Ukraine with Leopard tanks, though officials have now said they won’t stand in the way of other European countries that possess German tanks from sending those to Kyiv. German officials reportedly told U.S. lawmakers that he would not send Leopards into the conflict unless President Joe Biden also sent Abrams tanks.
“First, I am aware of the press reporting stating that the U.S. is considering providing Abrams tanks to Ukraine,” Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said on Tuesday. “I have no announcements to make at this time, and when and if we do, we’ll be sure to let you know. As always, we continue to remain in close contact with the Ukrainians and our international allies and partners on Ukraine’s most pressing security assistance requirements, to include their near, medium, and long-term needs.”
Ukrainian officials have said tanks and air defense systems are their biggest needs as they prepare for an anticipated Russian renewed offensive in the coming weeks or months. Defense leaders from roughly 50 countries met at Ramstein Air Base in Germany last Friday for the eighth Defense Contact Group meeting, though they were not able to walk away with a solution on tanks.
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Last week, defense officials said the Abrams tanks didn’t make sense for Ukraine given the maintenance and training requirements.
“The Abrams are — it’s more of a sustainment issue. I mean, this is a tank that requires jet fuel, whereas the Leopard and the Challenger, it’s a different engine. They require diesel. It’s a little bit easier to maintain. They can maneuver across large portions of territory before they need to refuel. The maintenance and the high cost that it would take to maintain an Abrams,” deputy Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters last Thursday. “It just doesn’t make sense to provide that to the Ukrainians at this moment.”
The United Kingdom announced it would supply 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Kyiv, and Poland has sought Germany’s approval to send Leopard tanks.