WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States will supply Ukraine with 31 American battle tanks in a coordinated effort with Germany, President Joe Biden announced Wednesday, reversing earlier resistance and signaling long-term support for the Ukrainian military’s defense against Russian invaders.

What You Need To Know

  • The United States will supply Ukraine with 31 American battle tanks in a coordinated effort with Germany, President Joe Biden announced Wednesday, reversing earlier resistance and signaling long-term support

  • Biden announced the decision to send M1 Abrams tanks on Wednesday as German officials also confirmed they would send 14 of their Leopard 2 tanks

  • The two announcements came after months of deliberation among Western allies due to concerns about the tanks, including the fact that it will take months to deliver them to Ukraine and that they will require significant training 

  • Ukrainian soldiers will be trained on the tanks outside of Ukraine, officials said, and it will require various stages of instruction

Biden announced the decision to send M1 Abrams tanks on Wednesday as German officials also confirmed they would send 14 of their Leopard 2 tanks, with more to come.

The two announcements came after months of deliberation among Western allies due to concerns about the tanks, including the fact that it will take months to deliver them to Ukraine and that they will require significant training and maintenance. 

Biden on Wednesday called the news “further evidence of our enduring, unflagging commitment to Ukraine” and the defense of its territory, framing it as necessary to also defend very principle of democracy around the world.

“This is about freedom. Freedom for Ukraine. Freedom everywhere,” Biden said at the White House, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin standing behind him.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby on Wednesday said the U.S. decision on tanks matches the “evolving” needs of the war, and it represents the long-term outlook of Ukraine’s almost year-long effort to defend its territory against an invasion directed by Russia’s president Vladimir Putin. 

"We need to prepare ourselves to have to continue to support Ukraine for for quite some time," he cautioned. 

Russian ambassador to Berlin Sergey Nechayev said in a statement Wednesday that Germany's decision to send tanks was "extremely dangerous," saying it "casts doubt" on Russian-German relations.

Kirby added that the tanks "pose no offensive threat to Russia," responding to concerns the new weapons could be seen by Putin as an escalation of U.S. involvement.

Biden on Wednesday once again committed to supporting Ukraine for "as long as it takes."

“Putin expected Europe and the United States to weaken our resolve, expected our support for Ukraine to crumble with time. He was wrong,” Biden said. “We are united. America’s united and so is the world.”

As part of the coordination on Ukraine, Biden said he spoke with key European allies Wednesday morning: French President Emmanuel Macron,  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy and United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Ukrainian soldiers will be trained on the tanks outside of Ukraine, Kirby said, and it will require various stages of instruction, including how to operate the tank, maintenance and maneuvering on the battlefield.  

The 31 tanks from the U.S. will equate to one Ukrainian tank battalion, and Germany is expected to supply two additional battalions in the coming weeks, which would add about 60 more tanks to the effort.

The announcement ends a standoff between Germany and the United States. Biden administration officials on Wednesday sought to downplay any friction between the two countries as both unveiled their plans.

The armored vehicles will be critical in the fight as Ukrainian soldiers aim to not only defend their territory and prepare new offensives but also try to retake territory currently controlled by the Russians, such as areas the Donbas region and Crimea.

That will be especially critical as the weather warms, likely accelerating the pace of the war.

But because the U.S. does not have "excess" supply of the Abrams tanks, they will be purchased separately, meaning they likely won't be available by the spring after all.

Biden on Wednesday once again called on Putin to withdraw his troops, despite no indication he plans to.

“If Russian troops return to Russia … where they belong, this war would be over today. That’s what we all want – an end to this war,” Biden added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had called for 300 tanks to boost his military’s effort. U.S. officials did not comment on the total amount they expect the country to receive.

But Zelenskyy on Wednesday wrote on Twitter that he was "grateful" to President Biden for the support, calling it "an important step on the path to victory."

 

Bipartisan lawmakers on Capitol Hill this week had urged the U.S. to relent and send the tanks.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, on Wednesday cheered the decision and called for urgent delivery.

“Modern main battle tanks will provide highly maneuverable, armored firepower that will help Ukraine liberate territory and keep pressure on the Russian aggressors, but time is of the essence,” he said. 

The $400 million package announced Wednesday also includes eight M88 recovery vehicles — tank-like tracked vehicles that can tow the Abrams if it gets stuck.

All told, France, the U.K., the U.S., Poland, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden will send hundreds of tanks and heavy armored vehicles to fortify Ukraine as it enters a new phase of the war and attempts to break through entrenched Russian lines.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.