Ukraine war: US and Germany announce aid for main battle tank Kyiv and what else – BBC News 中文

The White House announcement of the momentous decision comes hours after Germany was “finally” willing to send 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. Berlin’s move also cleared the way for how other European countries could ship German-made tanks to Kyiv from their own stockpiles.

In fact, Ukraine has been lobbying its Western allies for help in sending them military equipment for the past few months.

After the US and Germany announced their military aid decision, Kyiv immediately expressed its gratitude and said that the two US and German military aids would be a turning point, allowing its military to regain a lot of momentum. They also vowed to take back the captured territories nearly a year after Moscow invaded Ukraine.

Kyiv also said the tanks could help deter a potential Russian attack this spring. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was “an important step on the road to victory.”

“Today, the free world is united as never before for a common goal: the liberation of Ukraine.”

But he said the tanks needed to be delivered quickly and urged the West to supply the country with long-range missiles and fighter jets.

Moscow, meanwhile, has denounced the aid as a “blatant provocation” and said any tanks supplied to Ukraine would be destroyed. A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said: “These tanks will be burned like all other tanks. They are just very expensive.”

US President Joe Biden said in the Roosevelt Room of the White House: “Putin predicted that our support for Ukraine would disintegrate over time. He was wrong! He was wrong from the beginning, and he will continue to be wrong.”

Biden also said that the United States is still providing Ukraine with the necessary parts and equipment to effectively maintain these tanks on the battlefield: “This is assisting Ukraine in defending and protecting its homeland. This is not an attack or threat to Russia.”

A Ukrainian tank battalion typically consists of 31 tanks, which is why the number is 31, Biden said.

However, the U.S. decision marks a shift in their stance. The Biden administration has insisted for some time that the “M1 Abrams” tank is difficult to deliver because of high maintenance costs. How the Ukrainian military operates is also a challenge.

This American-made tank is one of the most modern main battle tanks in the world today and requires extensive training to operate. The $400 million U.S. military aid package also includes eight rescue vehicles, which are designed to tow away tanks if they get stuck.

But military experts say it could take months for the tanks to reach the battlefield because they will be purchased from private contractors rather than shipped from existing stocks.

The German-made Leopard 2 tanks will be drawn from existing stocks and are expected to arrive within two to three months. They are widely regarded as one of the most effective main battle tanks available. Germany produced the vast majority of modern heavy tanks in Europe – “Leopard 2”, of which about 2000 were distributed among the European allies.

Moreover, Germany has all the export licenses for these tanks. Germany’s military aid decision means that other European countries with German-made tanks will also be allowed to send German-made tanks to Ukraine after obtaining Germany’s consent.

The decision to provide Kyiv with heavy combat equipment assistance comes after weeks of diplomatic wrangling. Germany faces growing international pressure to supply Ukraine with tanks. Reports say the final decision to do so was conditional on the US also deciding to supply the tanks.

Earlier on Wednesday, a senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said both sides had engaged in a “good diplomatic dialogue” that had influenced the decision and led to “an extraordinary shift in German security policy.”

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, more than 30 countries have provided military equipment to Kyiv. The United Kingdom, which has delivered 14 tanks, welcomed the US and German military aid tanks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his forces desperately needed Western main battle tanks to defend the homeland and push Russian troops out of occupied territories. Some Western officials believe that the Russian army is currently in a weak position, and more advanced tanks can help Ukraine repel the Russian army.

The Leopard 2 tank used by many European countries is easier to maintain and requires less fuel than some other Western tanks.

In the months following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the West was keen to provide Ukraine with the standard weapons it had under the Warsaw Pact regime rather than under NATO because the Ukrainian armed forces had readily available trained personnel, Spare parts and repair capabilities.

Switching to NATO-standard tanks would require a range of logistical support that Ukraine does not currently have. Kyiv argues that more standard NATO equipment is now available to existing forces.

The UK has therefore agreed to supply Ukraine with 14 Challenger 2 tanks; the British Army’s main battle tank, introduced in the 1990s but much more advanced than the rest of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ existing tanks.

Ukraine used the “T-72” tank designed by the “Warsaw Pact” organization before it was invaded. Since February 2022, it has received more than 200 “T-72” tanks from Poland, the Czech Republic and a few other countries. .

In announcing the U.S. decision to send 31 “M1 Abrams” tanks to Ukraine, Biden described them as “the most powerful tanks in the world.”

He said the U.S. would begin training Ukrainian soldiers to use them immediately, but it was unclear how long the tanks would be delivered. The BBC’s Washington correspondent Gary O’Donoghue said the financing process for the tanks meant it could be months before they could be fielded.

Military experts believe that winning on the battlefield requires the coordinated deployment of large numbers of equipment, as well as the necessary logistical support in place.

The Stryker is one of many armored vehicles donated to Ukraine. The United States recently confirmed that it will soon ship 90 Strykers to Ukraine. Among other recent U.S. donations are 59 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles. These vehicles are used extensively by U.S. forces in Iraq.

In December last year, the United States also announced that it would send the “Patriot” missile system to Ukraine.

Germany and the Netherlands have recently followed the example of the United States and will provide related systems to Ukraine. The highly complex system has a range of up to 100 kilometers, depending on the type of missile used, and requires specialized training for Ukrainian soldiers, possibly at a US military base in Germany.

But the system is expensive to operate, with a single Patriot missile costing about $3 million.

Ukraine has been using the Soviet-era “S-300” surface-to-air system to counter Russian attacks since the conflict began last year.

Prior to the invasion, Ukraine had about 250 S-300 defense systems and had been augmenting its defenses with similar systems stockpiled by other former Soviet states, some of which came from Slovakia.

The U.S. has also provided Ukraine with the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (Nasams). The first batch arrived in Ukraine in November. In addition, the UK supplied several air defense systems, including Starstreak, designed to shoot down low-flying aircraft at short range.

In the months following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the retreat of Russian troops from Kyiv, much of the fighting was centered on eastern Ukraine, a region where Ukraine had a large need for artillery. In the past, Australia, Canada and the United States were among the countries that shipped advanced M777 towed howitzers and ammunition to Ukraine.

The range of the M777 is similar to the Russian “Giatsint-B” towed howitzer, but much longer than the Russian “D-30” towed artillery.

Drones have played an important role on the battlefield so far, with many being used for surveillance, targeting and heavy transport operations. Turkey has sold the Bayraktar TB2 armed drone to Ukraine in recent months, while the system’s Turkish manufacturer has donated the drone to a crowdfunding campaign in support of Ukraine.

Analysts say the “Bairaktar TB2” armed drone is highly effective, flying at an altitude of about 7,600 meters before descending to attack Russian targets with laser-guided bombs.