The US will send 31 M1 Abrams tanks and Germany will send 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
This is significant as it provides Ukraine with advanced battle tanks to counter a potential Russian offensive.
The New York Post reports that the US tanks will take months to deliver due to limited stockpiles, while the German tanks will be sent from their own stock. The Guardian mentions that the US tanks will be procured through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which allows the US to obtain weapons from industry. CNN highlights the diplomatic logjam between the US and Germany, with Germany initially refusing to send tanks unless the US also agreed to send its tanks. The Hill mentions that the decision could take months or years for the tanks to be delivered.
Ukraine has been requesting armored tanks from its Western allies for months in preparation for a potential Russian offensive. The US initially opposed sending tanks but has now reversed its stance. Germany faced pressure to send tanks after Poland sought permission to donate its own tanks to Ukraine.
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Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which it borders to the east and north-east.
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The United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, is a country mostly located in central North America, between Canada and Mexico.
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The M1 Abrams is a third-generation American main battle tank designed by Chrysler Defense and named for General Creighton Abrams.
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Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central and Western Europe. Covering an area of 357,022 square kilometres, it lies between the Baltic and North seas to the north, and the Alps to the south.
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Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3,769,495 inhabitants make it the most populous city proper of the European Union. The city is one of Germany's 16 federal states.
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Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is an American politician who is the 46th and current president of the United States. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice president from 2009 to 2017 and represented Delaware in the United States Senate
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Olaf Scholz is a German politician serving as Federal Minister of Finance and Vice Chancellor under Chancellor Angela Merkel since 14 March 2018.
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Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country located in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative subdivisions, covering an area of 312,696 square kilometres, and has a largely temperate seasonal climate.
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The leopard is one of the five extant species in the genus Panthera, a member of the Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in small parts of Western and Central Asia, on the Indian subcontinent to Southeast and East Asia.
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The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase The Pentagon is also often used as a metonym for the Department of Defense and its leadership.