Dozens of Western tanks are arriving in Ukraine, even if it will take months, to reinforce Kiev's position on the ground , at the gates of the second year of war and amid fears of a Russian spring offensive.
In the aftermath of media rumors, the official ok of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has arrived to send 14 Leopard 2s to Ukraine, the green light for other countries to supply German-made tanks - above all Poland - and a promise to train Ukrainians in their use in Germany. A few hours later, Washington announced the supply of 31 Abrams tanks, completing the Euro-American tandem of heavy weapons in favor of Ukraine . "They are the most powerful tanks in the world", underlined Biden after having "a long conversation" with Scholz, French President Macron, British Prime Minister Sunak and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni representing Italy, whom the American leader thanked for sending artillery to Kiev.
"We are united in our support for Ukraine", explained the head of the White House, assuring that it was not Germany that "forced him to change his mind" about sending the Abrams , which do not represent "an offensive against Russia". he then made it clear. Of a completely different idea is Moscow, which has condemned the Western move: the Abrams in Ukraine "will burn in the same way as the other" tanks , were the words of the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, while the Russian ambassador in Germany defined Scholz's decision is "highly dangerous".
According to Spiegel, the European allies are ready to give 80 Leopard 2s to Ukraine, to form two battalions of 40 vehicles. Twelve countries that would have agreed to supply German tanks, certainly among them Poland and Norway. The Leopards are then joined by the 14 Challengers promised by London and now the American Abrams, which are "an important step towards the victory" of Kiev, according to Zelensky, who thanked Scholz and Biden, however urging them to hurry.
If on the one hand Ukraine is indeed rejoicing, on the other hand the numbers and delivery times are worrying, "crucial" details for the Ukrainian president. It will apparently take at least three months for the Berlin Leopards to arrive in Ukraine. While the US Abrams will even have to be produced from scratch, and even here "it will take months", according to US officials. The training of Ukrainian forces on American tanks "will begin soon", Biden also explained, warning however that they are very complex tanks and "it will take time" . Thus, Kiev has to wait.
(Unioneonline/D)