The U.S. and Germany are poised to announce they’ll provide their main battle tanks to Ukraine, offering Kyiv a powerful new weapon to counter Russia and overcoming a disagreement that threatened to fracture allied unity.
The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to announce as soon as Wednesday it will offer Ukraine the M1 Abrams tank, dropping an argument that the vehicle guzzles too much gas and is difficult to operate, two people familiar with the matter said. Germany, which had insisted it didn’t want to be the only one to offer such tanks, will send 14 Leopard 2 A6’s, a person familiar with the decision said on condition of anonymity.
The move will give Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s forces access to a significant new capability as the fighting in Ukraine shifts from urban centers to the east, where Russian forces have been dug in since invading on Feb. 24. The hope is that the tanks will allow Ukraine to punch through the Russian lines and blunt a spring offensive that officials fear Russia may be planning.
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