U.S. Prepares to Send M1 Tanks to Ukraine
WASHINGTON — As international resistance to sending tanks along the front line against Russia begins to diminish, the Biden administration announced Tuesday that it is now ready to send M1 Abrams tanks from the United States to Ukraine. The decision to send 30 or more tanks could be made as soon as today. However, delivery could take up to months.
Officials from the United States said that details are still being sorted out. One official stated that the tanks would be purchased under the forthcoming Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which provides funding for longer-range weapons and equipment purchases from commercial vendors.
According to one official, the U.S. announcement was expected to be in coordination with a German announcement that it would approve Poland’s request to send German-made Leopard 2 tanks from Germany to Ukraine. Officials spoke under condition of anonymity as the decision is not yet public.
The administration agrees to send Abrams at an unspecified time under the assistance program, which allows it to satisfy the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s request for an American pledge without having to send tanks immediately.
A separate program that draws on Pentagon stock to expedite weapons delivery to Ukraine has provided much of the assistance so far in the eleven-month-old war. Even with that program, it would take months for tanks to reach Ukraine and for Ukrainian forces to be trained to use them.
Tuesday’s update didn’t reveal when the U.S. might begin training Ukrainian troops using the Abrams, or how close they will be to the front.
The U.S. has refused to provide its own M1 Abrams tank tanks to Ukraine until now. They cited complex maintenance and logistical difficulties with these high-tech vehicles. Washington believes it would be more productive for Ukraine to send German Leopards, since allies have them. Also, Ukrainian troops would need less training on the more complicated Abrams.
Colin Kahl, the Under Secretary for Defense for Policy, stated last week to reporters that the Abrams is complicated, costly, difficult to maintain, and difficult to train on.
Lloyd Austin, Defense Secretary of the United States, said that one thing has kept him very focused on is, “is that we should not be providing the Ukrainians systems they can’t repair, they can’t sustain, and that they, over the long term, can’t afford, because it’s not helpful.”
An American official who is familiar with White House thinking stated that the initial hesitation of the administration was due to concerns over the training and maintenance of the tanks. According to the official, although such plans are in place now, it may take some time for them to be implemented.
On Monday, a Pentagon official said that Abrams tanks were difficult for Ukrainian forces because they are powered by jet fuel. The decision to send only a small number of tanks and the delay in delivery could be more important than concerns about the possibility of escalating war and providing political benefits to the administration.
The fuel issue has been used repeatedly by defense officials to explain why Abrams tanks weren’t being sent to Kyiv. Experts in tank technology say that while the tanks do have jet fuel-burning gas turbine engines, that is only part of the story.
Abrams tanks can be run on any fuel, according to them, even regular gasoline and diesel.
Brig. General Patrick Ryder declined to confirm reports Tuesday that the administration was about to provide Ukraine with M1 Abrams tank.
“When and if we have something to announce, we will,” He stated.
He called it the Abrams Tank “a very capable battlefield platform.”
“It’s also very complex capability,” Ryder stated. “And so, like anything that we’re providing to Ukraine, we want to ensure that they have the ability to maintain it, sustain it, to train on it.”
He didn’t mention the fuel issue.
Congress members have been pushing for the U.S. increase in aid to Ukraine.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said Tuesday that the U.S. and its allied countries must provide more tanks, weapons, and support for Ukraine. “win this war.”
“It’s time, past time, for the Biden administration and our allies to get serious about helping Ukraine finish the job and retake their country,” He stated.
Robert Abrams is a retired U.S. Army officer in armor and a four-star general. He said that the effort would be “herculean” However, it’s not impossible.
“The time it would take to get there — to be able to build up the supply stockage, to deliver the vehicles, to train the crews, to train the mechanics, to gather everything you’d need — how long would that take?” Abrams has extensive experience with the M1 tank and was interviewed. “I don’t know, but it ain’t like 30 days, I can tell you that.”
EUROPE: 2,000 LEOPARDS
Biden’s decision to reverse its position comes just days after a group of over 50 senior European defense officials met in Germany for discussions on Ukraine’s war need. Battle tanks were a key topic.
Numerous European countries have German-built Leopards. There are approximately 2,000 of them across Europe. In recent weeks, Ukraine has asked for tanks, calling them necessary to counter Russia’s advantages in arm and man. Germany has resisted increasing pressure to either supply its own tanks, or allow other countries to import the German-made tanks from their stocks.
Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, stated that the deployment of Western tanks would set off “unambiguously negative” consequences.
In an attempt to reach an agreement, defense leaders from countries with Leopard 2 tanks met up with Germans at the Ramstein Air Base conference on Friday.
Berlin said that it would not stand in the way of other countries sending the Leopard 2 tanks from Germany to Kyiv on Sunday. Germany must agree to allow the tanks to Ukraine to be delivered, as Ukraine is not a NATO member.
German and U.S. officials have mixed signals about whether U.S. and German decision are connected and whether Berlin hesitated to send tanks unless Abrams was sent by the U.S.
Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak announced Tuesday that Poland had officially asked Germany for permission to transfer its Leopard 2 battle trucks to Ukraine. He indicated that other countries have already expressed their willingness to do the same if Germany allowed it.
German officials confirmed that they received the application to the dpa news agency and stated that it would be evaluated “with due urgency.” Sunday, the German Foreign Minister Annalena Bock stated that Berlin would never stop Poland from providing high-tech armor to Kyiv.
Boris Pistorius (Germany’s new defense minister) said last week that his country would train Ukrainians to use Leopard tankers, despite not being able to agree at the time whether they should be sent.
“It’s to prepare for a day that will possibly come, at which point we would be able to act immediately and deliver the support within a very short period of time,” Reporters were informed by him.
German officials refused to comment on reports about a tank deal. According to Der Spiegel, Tuesday’s news report said that Germany would supply Ukraine at least one Leopard 2 tank company from its army stock. One company consists of 15 tanks.
Scholz will address parliament today, and answer questions from legislators. Many have been pressing the government for help in providing tanks to Ukraine.
Sauli Ninisto, the president of Finland, said that he had talked to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding the supply Western tanks to Ukraine.
Lolita Baldor and Matthew Lee contributed to this article. Tara Copp and Kevin Freking were also contributors. Helene Cooper was the editor and Eric Schmitt were The New York Times.
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