The Gordian knot regarding the supply of western tanks has been untied. According to Foreign Minister Kuleba, Ukraine is initially expecting 120 to 140 tanks. But delivery will take, probably months. Then Abrams, Challenger and Leopard are supposed to land in Kyiv.
Ukraine says it will receive up to 140 heavy battle tanks from western countries. In a first step, “the Ukrainian armed forces will receive between 120 and 140 modern Western-style tanks,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a video posted on Facebook.
These are German-made Leopard 2 tanks, British Challenger 2 tanks and US-made Abrams tanks, he added. This is the first time Ukraine has officially announced the total number of tanks promised by its western allies.
Last week, Germany gave the go-ahead for the delivery of the German-made Leopard heavy tanks, which Ukraine had long requested. Shortly after the German decision, Washington announced the delivery of 31 Abrams tanks. Great Britain had previously announced that it wanted to deliver Challenger tanks at the end of March. However, it could take several months for the tanks to actually arrive in Ukraine as they require repairs and maintenance.
Ukraine has already received foreign tanks in recent months, including more than 250 modernized Soviet T-72 tanks from Poland. The West had initially declined to send modern tanks, fearing it might lead to an escalation of the war by Moscow.
