Yesterday, Volodymyr Zelensky celebrated his 45th birthday and the gifts he received were not only from Berlin but also from the United States, which is sending 31 Abrams to Kyiv
By Athena Papakosta
After weeks of hesitance that irritated Germany’s allies, Chancellor Olaf Scholz finally said yes and announced that Berlin would finally supply 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. Yesterday, Volodymyr Zelensky celebrated his 45th birthday and the gifts he received were not only from Berlin but also from the United States, which is sending 31 Abrams to Kyiv.
The American president is said to have made it clear to the German chancellor that the United States and Berlin would only send tanks to Ukraine together. A fact which allegedly played an important role in bending Berlin’s resistance.
“Our decision is the result of intense consultations, once again, with our allies and international partners,” stressed Olaf Solz, addressing the German Bundestag.
Berlin’s goal now is to create two battalions of Leopard 2s. The German-made tanks will come from the stocks held by the German armed forces.
Apparently relieved, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his satisfaction and personally thanked Olaf Solz in a phone call yesterday, Wednesday.
Berlin also gives the green light for the export of Leopards from third countries. After all, Poland has long been pressuring Germany to allow it to give 14 of these tanks to Ukraine, while Finland, Spain and the Netherlands are also willing to supply the Ukrainians with Leopard tanks. At the same time, it is worth recalling that, already in mid-January, Britain has announced that it will send 14 Challenger 2 tanks, while France is also expected to send dozens of lighter AMX-10 RC battle tanks.
This strategic turn of the West is also reinforced by the decision of the United States to send 31 M1 ABRAMS tanks worth 400 million dollars to the war-torn Ukraine.
In his speech last night, the American president, Joe Biden, emphasized that the West is united, and so is the United States and the whole world. He made it clear that the aid given to Ukraine is to defend and protect its territories and is not an aggressive threat to Russia, stressing once again that “if Russian troops return to Russia, this war will end today.” .
Washington is currently establishing a comprehensive training program for the Abrams as they are complex to operate and maintain. However, the tanks in question will take months to reach Kyiv as, as experts note, among other things, even the financing process for the tanks themselves will take a long time.
In addition, the American president spoke by phone with four European leaders. In particular, he had a telephone conversation with the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, the prime minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak and also with the chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz. According to the White House, the focus of this phone call was their close cooperation in support of Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Zelensky has long pushed for more modern, Western-style tanks as he lives in fear of a new, giant offensive in the spring. In particular, he had appealed again and again for 300 tanks. Finally, as the American network CNN reported yesterday, it is expected to receive – according to first calculations – 94 and Moscow is already warning that all Western weapons will be destroyed by its forces in the field, characterizing the decision of the West as “expensive nonsense”. At the same time, the Russian embassy in Germany speaks of an “extremely dangerous decision”.
A few months ago the current turn of the West would have seemed unthinkable as, now, Kiev’s allies do not hesitate to step on Russia’s “red” lines. Berlin, notes the British Guardian, got what it wanted – more cover from the US although it had to pretend to a degree that it didn’t need it. At the same time, the head of the German Army’s Federal Political Security Academy, Eckerhard Boes, stressed that committing the United States to such a decision was crucial to avoid Europe facing – all alone – a nuclear-armed Russia.
For his part, Germany’s defense minister indicated that the first Leopard 2s will not be deployed earlier than the next three months in Ukraine, with the German government pointing out that the required training for their use will begin soon.
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
