Much of Russia’s recent international bluster has been focused on keeping the rest of the global community from assisting Ukraine in resisting the Kremlin’s invasion. In fact, some in Moscow have even gone so far as to suggest that a nuclear war could ensue should the western world continue to provide much of anything to Ukraine by way of support.
But, given just how poorly Russia’s invasion has been progressing thus far, there are very few notable nations who’ve heeded these belligerent warnings.
The United States, for instance, has just announced plans to send some of the world’s most advanced tanks to the front lines.
The Biden administration has decided to provide M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, overriding previous concerns that the heavy battle tanks, the world’s most powerful, are too logistically burdensome for Kyiv’s forces, according to U.S. officials.
The decision, due to be announced Wednesday, comes after a rare dispute last week among Western allies over the provision of tanks made in Germany, which has been reluctant to allow its Leopard 2 main battle tanks to be transferred to Ukraine unless the United States first provides Abrams.
But when will Ukraine see them?
The U.S. vehicles, probably numbering at least 30, are unlikely to arrive by spring, when Russian forces are expected to begin a new offensive and Ukraine plans to launch its own counteroffensive to take back Russian-occupied territory. Instead, the Abramses are “probably not for the near fight,” one U.S. official said, and are not likely to arrive for many months, if not years.
The news comes after a number of rather desperate pleas from Ukrainian officials, who’ve been relying on the nations of the world for this sort of help in defending their country from the Kremlin’s invaders.
