JANUARY 25, 2023:
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says the U.S. will send 31 M1 Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine, reversing months of persistent arguments that the tanks were too difficult for Ukrainian troops to operate and maintain. The U.S. decision announced Wednesday (Jan. 25, 2023) came on the heels of Germany agreeing to send 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks from its own stocks. Germany had said the Leopards would not be sent unless the U.S. put its Abrams on the table, not wanting to incur Russia’s wrath without the U.S. similarly committing its own tanks. Biden said that in total European allies have agreed to send enough tanks to equip two Ukrainian tank battalions, a total of 62 tanks.
JANUARY 24, 2023:
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say the U.S. is poised to approve sending M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, as international reluctance to send tanks to the battlefront against the Russians appeared to begin eroding. According to one official, the U.S. announcement is expected to come on Wednesday (Jan. 25, 2023) in coordination with an announcement by Germany that it will approve Poland’s request to transfer German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. Officials said the Abrams tanks could be bought under an upcoming Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative package, which provides longer-range funding for weapons and equipment to be purchased from commercial vendors. Weapons provided through the assistance initiative can take many months to several years to reach the battlefield.
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