U.S. to send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, in major reversal
▻https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/25/u-s-to-send-31-abrams-tanks-to-ukraine-in-major-reversal-00079437
President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that the U.S. will send #Ukraine a battalion of 31 M1 #Abrams #tanks, the Army’s premier main battle tank, in a significant show of support for Kyiv in its fight against Russia.
The tanks won’t arrive in Ukraine for many months, and the Pentagon is working through the challenges involved in providing the training, equipment and fuel to operate the 70-ton tracked weapons, officials said.
[...] Other nations, including Germany, are set to send their own modern tanks to Kyiv, which has been pleading for the weapons for months. [...] Poland, Spain, Norway and Finland are also likely to join in the coalition of nations sending Leopards.
Ukraine sets sights on fighter jets after securing tank supplies
▻https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-sets-sights-fighter-jets-after-securing-tank-supplies-2023-01-25
Ukraine will now push for Western fourth generation fighter jets such as the U.S. #F-16 after securing supplies of main battle tanks, an adviser to Ukraine’s defence minister said on Wednesday.
[...] “They didn’t want to give us heavy artillery, then they did. They didn’t want to give us Himars systems, then they did. They didn’t want to give us tanks, now they’re giving us tanks. Apart from nuclear weapons, there is nothing left that we will not get,” Sak said.
