Following Germany, The United States Agrees To Send 31 M1 Abrams Tanks To Ukraine

Illustration of M1 Abrams Tank. (Wikimedia Commons/Mrkoww)

JAKARTA - The United States announced it will deliver 31 US$400 million M1 Abrams main battle tanks (MBT) in the next few months to Ukraine on Wednesday, a decision that helped break a diplomatic impasse with Germany over how best to assist Kyiv in its war against Russia.

President Joe Biden announced the plan at the White House, saying the tanks were needed to help Ukraine "improve their ability to maneuver in open terrain."

President Biden thanked Germany for its decision to supply Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks, as well as listing other military hardware on the ground supplied by NATO allies and other European countries.

"The expectation from the Russian side is that we will break up," Biden said of the US and European allies, as quoted from Reuters on Jan. 26.

"But we are completely, completely and completely united."

Initially, the United States was cold to the idea of ​​deploying the more difficult-to-maintain M1 Abrams tanks, but had to change tack to persuade Germany to send the easier-to-use Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

The decisions by Washington and Berlin come as Western allies are helping Ukraine prepare for a possible spring counteroffensive to try to expel Russia from territory it has captured.

"There is no offensive threat to Russia from those tanks," President Biden said.

Furthermore, President Biden said the US decision was not in response to pressure from Germany. It is known that previously Germany said it was willing to send its tanks if the US also sent its tanks.

"Germany didn't force me to change my mind, we want to make sure that we are all together," he said.

Separately, a senior administration official said President Biden had spoken to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz several times this month about aid to Ukraine. He spoke again on Wednesday with Scholz as well as British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron, both close allies in aiding Ukraine.

"Today's announcement is truly the product of good diplomatic conversations, as part of our regular and ongoing consultations with allies and partners regarding security assistance to Ukraine," the official said.

More announcements from US allies about additional armored vehicle capabilities are expected, the official said.

Meanwhile, Ukraine will have to wait several months to receive the M1 Abrams tanks, said a senior administration official who briefed journalists on the decision, describing the move in terms of providing Ukraine with long-term defense.

The Ukrainian military will be trained to use the M1 Abrams at a location that has yet to be determined. Known as a highly sophisticated and expensive weapon, the M1 Abrams is difficult to maintain and presents a logistical supply challenge because it uses jet fuel.

The total cost of an M1 Abrams tank can vary, and can be over $10 million per tank if training and maintenance are included.