Correcting weeks of hesitating delay and deceptive excuses, President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that the United States would provide 31 M1A2 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. He noted that this would allow Ukraine to form a new armored battalion. Alongside the 12 Challenger-2 tanks that the United Kingdom has already pledged to provide Ukraine, Biden said Europe would supply Ukraine with an additional two battalions worth of Leopard-2 tanks. In total, Ukraine is set to receive just over 100 of the most modern Western battle tanks. The first Leopard-2 tanks should have trained crews within eight weeks. Unfortunately, Germany says it will take at least three months for the first tanks to be delivered.
These tanks will afford Ukrainian forces with significant new tactical flexibility.
