by WorldTribune Staff / 247 Real News January 25, 2023

One week after insisting the move wouldn’t make sense, Team Biden on Tuesday said it would send Ukraine 31 M1 Abrams main battle tanks.

A senior administration official told reporters the gift is being made through the Ukraine security assistance initiative.

“Unfortunately, more weapons from NATO bring more suffering for people in Ukraine. It also brings more attention to the continent, but it cannot prevent Russia from reaching our goals,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Germany has also reversed course and announced on Wednesday that it would provide a company of 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks.

Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergey Nechaev called Berlin’s decision to send tanks to Kyiv “highly dangerous” and said it “takes the conflict to a new level of confrontation.”

German officials reportedly told U.S. lawmakers that they would not send Leopards into the conflict unless Team Biden also sent Abrams tanks.

Russia’s ambassador to the U.S., Anatoly Antonov, warned: “If a decision to transfer to Kiev M1 Abrams is made, American tanks without any doubt will be destroyed as all other samples of NATO military equipment.”

It is expected to take many months before the tanks reach Ukrainian territory. The package will also include the procurement of eight M88 Recovery Vehicles.

Ukrainian officials have continually pressured their Western allies to send tanks as a Russian offensive is expected in the coming months.

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky has demanded 300 tanks from Western allies in order to unleash a “real punching fist of democracy” to force Russian troops out of his country.

The United Kingdom has already pledged to deliver 14 of its Challenger 2 tanks to Kyiv.

Last week, Team Biden had said it did not make sense to send Ukraine the tanks due to the maintenance and training requirements.

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  Escalation: Team Biden to provide Ukraine with 31 Abrams tanks, WorldTribune.com