Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the US decision to send 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine “an important step towards victory”. Zelenskyyy tweeted that “today the free world is united more than ever by a common goal” – the task of liberating Ukraine. For several months, Kiev has been asking NATO countries to provide Ukraine with battle tanks, which will give the Ukrainian armed forces additional firepower and mobility in order to break through the front and return the occupied territories to east and south of the country.
Andrii Yermak, head of the office of the president of Ukraine, called the day President Biden issued a statement on sending tanks “one of those days that will determine our future victory.” Head of Ukrainian President’s Office Andrii Yermak (file photo) Recalls that the US decision on tanks is seen as an important signal for Germany regarding a common position among NATO allies. We also recall that the German authorities have long hampered the issue of supplying their tanks and this issue became a stumbling block during a recent meeting at the Ramstein base in Germany.
Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the office of the President of Ukraine, in an interview with Mikhail Komadovsky, correspondent for the media Russian Service, described the statement on the tanks as follows: “It is important because the United States demonstrated global leadership. They understand that the transfer of tanks to Ukraine is of strategic importance.
Advisor to the Office of Ukrainian President Mykhailo Podolyak (file photo) Now the topic of tanks for Ukraine is moving into a logistics process, Podolyak continued: “31 Abrams is a lot. In total, we need 250-350 tanks (from American and European partners). According to an adviser to the Ukrainian President’s office, the next step will be to request long-range missiles from Ukraine’s allies: “Long-range missiles are a pragmatic solution to protect Ukrainian personnel, protect armored vehicles and destroy brutally the firepower of the Russian army.
On Wednesday, the National Security Council’s director of strategic communications, John Kirby, told reporters that it could take several months between the decision to supply M1 Abrams tanks and their delivery to Ukraine.
