Germany and the US Agree to Send Tanks to Ukraine
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On Wednesday, 25th January, Germany agreed to send the Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. Their decision was followed by the US agreeing to send M1 Abrams tanks, with both countries reaching the approval decisions after “months of negotiations”.
In preparation for an upcoming Russian offensive, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO representatives pledged to supply Ukraine with heavy weapons. The decision was crucial for other member-states, such as Poland and Spain, so that they would also be able to send their tanks to the front line.
In an interview with Sky News, Zelenskyy warned Germany and the US that the delivery time of the tanks would be crucial in Ukrainian efforts in the war.
The slow progress in negotiations to supply tanks to Ukraine was caused by the allies’ fears of the Russian response to the escalation of Western military assistance. Politico explains the tactic of “unwritten policy” of the allies, which entails the gradual, rather than fully comprehensive package of supplies of weapons to Ukraine to not provoke further Russian aggression.
It was also related to Germany’s personal reluctance to be associated with its First and Second World War aggressions.
Soon after the announcement, the Russian authorities and propaganda channels responded with rhetoric on the “direct involvement of European capitals and Washington in the conflict”, as well as with allusions to Germany’s Second World War past through their union with Ukraine and the “fight on the Russian land”.
European allies are now discussing the potential of sending aircraft and jet fighters to Kyiv, despite the US and Germany having already ruled out that possibility. Politico reports that US military officials are “quietly” urging the Pentagon to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets.
A few days ago, Russia initiated further missile attacks across Ukraine with sirens going off across the whole country. The explosions hit Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Kherson, and Odesa.