“Today, I announced that the United States will send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine – evidence of our enduring and unflagging commitment to Ukraine and our confidence in the skill of Ukrainian forces.
As I told President Zelenskyy, we’re with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” Joe Biden (President of the USA) confirmed on 25th January in the evening (11:27 pm in Spain) on Twitter.
The President of the United States of America underscored that this decission has been taken in coordination with EU and NATO allies with no opposition at the US Congress and due to the technical and strategical advice of the Defence Secretary, general Lloyd James Austin, who “recommended this step because it will enhance the Ukraine’s capacity to defend its territory and achieve its strategic objectives.”
It will still take some months to deliver both the Abrams and the other tanks promised by Germany, UK, Poland and Spain. The plan is that Ukrainian army can use the tanks by next Spring, President Biden seems to point.
Helping Ukraine, not an aggresion against the Russian Federation, Biden underscored
“…today’s announcement builds on the hard work and commitment from countries around the world, led by the United States of America, to help Ukraine defend its sovereignty and its territorial integrity.
That’s what this is about: helping Ukraine defend and protect Ukrainian land. It is not an offensive threat to Russia.”
“…If Russian troops returned to Russia, they’ll be there for, where they belong, and this war would be over today.
That’s what we all want: an end to this war in just and lasting terms.
You know, our teams do not permit one nation, we’re not going to allow one nation to steal a neighbor’s territory by force.
Our terms that preserve Russia’s sovereign, Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and honor the U.N. Charter, they’re the terms we’re working on.
And, you know, these are the terms we all signed up for and 143 nations voted for in the United Nations General Assembly last October.
So, the United States, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our Allies and partners, is going to continue to do all we can to support Ukraine,” President Biden added.
Further than tanks, also training, logistics , ammunition and maintenance
“The Abrams tanks are the most capable tanks in the world. They’re also extremely complex to operate and maintain, so we’re also giving Ukraine the parts and equipment necessary to effectively sustain these tanks on the battlefield.
And we’ll begin to train the Ukrainian troops on these issues of sustainment, logistics, and maintenance as soon as possible.
Delivering these tanks to the field is going to take time, time that we’ll see — we’ll use to make sure the Ukrainians are fully prepared to integrate the Abram tanks into their defenses,” The President of the United States added.
Image over the hedaline.- The President of the United States, Joe Biden, announcing the decission to sed Abrams tanks to Ukraine. Photo, The White House.
Related Eastwind links:
Germany confirms that will send even their own Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine
Related external links:
Tweet of @POTUS (President Biden) announcing the sending of Abrams tanks to Ukraine
Remarks by President Biden on Continued Support for Ukraine
