WASHINGTON, D.C — The United States will supply Ukraine with 31 American battle tanks in a coordinated effort with Germany, President Joe Biden announced Wednesday, reversing earlier resistance and signaling long-term support for the Ukrainian military’s defense against Russian invaders.
Biden announced the decision to send M1 Abrams tanks on Wednesday as German officials also confirmed they would send 14 of their Leopard 2 tanks.
The two announcements came after months of deliberation among Western allies due to concerns about the tanks, including the fact that it will take months to deliver them to Ukraine and that they will require significant training and maintenance.
Biden on Wednesday called the news “further evidence of our enduring, unflagging commitment to Ukraine” and the defense of its territory, framing it as a pledge to defend democracy around the world.
“This is about freedom. Freedom for Ukraine. Freedom everywhere,” Biden said at the White House, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin standing behind him.
A senior administration official on Wednesday said the U.S. decision on tanks was the result of matching the “evolving” needs of the war, and it represents the long-term outlook of Ukraine’s almost year-long effort to defend its territory against an invasion directed by Russia’s president Vladimir Putin.
“Putin expected Europe and the United States to weaken our resolve, expected our support for Ukraine to crumble with time. He was wrong,” Biden said. “We are united. America’s united and so is the world.”
As part of the coordination on Ukraine, Biden on Wednesday morning said he spoke with key European allies: French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy and United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Ukrainian soldiers will be trained on the tanks outside of Ukraine, officials said, and it will require various stages of instruction, including how to operate the tank, maintenance and maneuvering on the battlefield.
The 31 tanks will equate to one Ukrainian tank battalion, an official explained.
They will be critical in the fight as Ukrainian soldiers aim to not only defend their territory and prepare new offensives but also try to retake territory currently controlled by the Russians, such as areas the Donbas region and Crimea.
In response to concerns the new weaponry could be seen by Putin as an escalation of U.S. involvement, Biden said Wednesday: “There is no offensive threat to Russia.”
“If Russian troops return to Russia … where they belong, this war would be over today. That’s what we all want – an end to this war,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had called for 300 tanks to boost his military’s effort. U.S. officials did not comment on the total amount they expect the country to receive.
But Zelenskyy on Wednesday wrote on Twitter that he was “sincerely grateful” to Germany for its offer.
Bipartisan lawmakers on Capitol Hill this week had urged the U.S. to relent and send the tanks.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, on Wednesday cheered the decision and called for urgency.
“Modern main battle tanks will provide highly maneuverable, armored firepower that will help Ukraine liberate territory and keep pressure on the Russian aggressors, but time is of the essence,” he said.
