WP: US will send tanks to Ukraine no earlier than the end of 2023

The United States will supply Ukraine with 31 Abrams tanks, announced last week, at the end of 2023 or already in 2024. writes The Washington Post.

“They will be built specifically for Ukraine without depleted uranium armor for delivery at the end of this year or next,” the report says.

The article clarifies that military equipment will not be removed from US stocks, but will be purchased as part of the initiative to promote the security of Ukraine.

January 25 USA announced on the transfer of 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, specifying that the delivery of military equipment will take months. Later, US President Joe Biden announced that the volume of the new military aid package would be $400 million. He stressed that the West’s actions to help Ukraine do not pose a threat to Russia.

Same day delivery of 14 Leopard 2 tanks announced Germany. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a statement that Berlin would also allow allies to send their Leopard 2s to Ukraine.

Against the background of reports about the transfer of tanks to Kyiv in the Kremlin indicated to strengthen the direct involvement of Western countries in the conflict in Ukraine. Prior to this, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said that the transfer of weapons would not fundamentally change the situation, but would “add problems” for Ukraine.

At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation notedthat Washington decided to supply Kyiv with Abrams tanks in order to “level the NATO line.” They also criticized the US position that such actions are not an escalation. According to Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Ryabkov, “this is a denial of the obvious.” Earlier today Ryabkov declaredthat after the decision of the West to transfer tanks to Ukraine, it is pointless to negotiate with Kyiv.