Zelenskyy warns Abrams tanks may arrive too late
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Photo:Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS)
U.S. M1 Abrams main battle tanks may arrive in Ukraine too late, if Washington hands them over only in August, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with Sky News on Jan. 27.
The president stressed that he doesn’t know the exact time when the United States could transfer tanks to Ukraine.
“But I don’t know the real situation now, for this minute, when will they be here, when America gives us Abrams,” Zelenskyy said.
He added that he also doesn’t have an accurate timeframe of when Europe will be able to transfer its Leopard-2 tanks.
On Jan. 25, U.S. President Joe Biden announced plans to supply 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, along with the equipment and spare parts needed to keep them running. Biden added that while the delivery of Abrams will take some time, the training of the Ukrainian crews will begin as soon as possible.
The White House mentioned that Ukraine would receive German-made Leopard-2 tanks earlier than Abrams arrive.
White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said that the process of transferring Abrams tanks could take “many months,” but Leopard-2s will join the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine “in a relatively short order.”
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