President Biden announced Wednesday that the U.S. will provide 31 American-made battle tanks as part of a long-term plan to strengthen the Ukrainian army with advanced weaponry to fight invading Russian forces
he Biden Administration reversed course on its policy stance on whether to send M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine after publicly arguing for weeks that such a move would hinder Ukrainian forces more than help.
President Joe Biden announced Wednesday the U.S. will provide 31 American-made battle tanks as part of a long-term plan to strengthen the Ukrainian army with advanced weaponry to fight invading Russian forces, which occupy vast swaths of eastern and southern Ukraine. The policy turnaround is the latest sign the White House expects the conflict in Ukraine to last for many months or years, and signals Washington is prepared to support Ukraine in the fight for its duration.
The influx of armor will “enhance Ukraine’s capacity to defend its territory and achieve its strategic objectives,” Biden said, calling Abrams “the most capable tanks in the world.”The $400 million package includes funding for 31 Abrams tanks—the size of a Ukrainian tank battalion—ammunition rounds, support vehicles, and other equipment. It will all be procured through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which is a U.S. funding program to purchase weapons from contractors.
“We’re talking months, as opposed to weeks,” a senior Administration official told reporters ahead of Biden’s announcement. “If we do not have it readily within U.S. stocks, then we go the procurement route to make sure that we can procure the right capability for Ukraine.”Under this longer timeline, the new Abrams tanks aren’t likely to arrive ahead of an expected spring offensive by Russian forces. Ukraine been pleading the U.S.
The Abrams tank weighs more than 60 tons with a 120 millimeter cannon that can hit targets a mile away. At around 45 miles per hour, it’s faster than older tanks with specialized armor-plating designed to withstand direct hits with antitank weapons.
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