Oleksii Reznikov, the Defense Minister of Ukraine, has said that a "tank coalition" will be made to help Ukraine and that a lot of new tanks from the West will be coming, Ukrinform reports.
The "tank coalition" is comprised of several countries, and the coalition members met recently for an online meeting. According to Reznikov, the Ukrainian ground will soon be "happily" welcoming Leopard 2, Challenger 2, and M1 Abrams tanks.
Ukraine Is Forming a 'Tank Coalition'
The same Ukrinform report tells us that Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, remarked that the Ukrainian Armed Forces would receive 120 to 140 modern Western tanks, such as the Leopard 2, Challenger 2, and M1 Abrams, in the first wave of deliveries.
The Leopard 2, Challenger 2, and M1 Abrams tanks are some of the most advanced and well-equipped tanks in the world. They are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including advanced armor protection, highly accurate weapons systems, and high-speed mobility.
The arrival of these tanks is expected to significantly improve the Ukrainian military's capabilities while also providing a much-needed morale boost.
Reznikov announced the news on Twitter and shared a photo of himself and Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Baszczak. During the online meeting of the "tank coalition" nations, the two ministers are said to have gone into great detail about the particular topic.
It's official: The tank coalition for Ukraine has been born and is actively growing. Soon, we will happily welcome Leopards, Challengers and Abrams on the Ukrainian ground. A lot of them.
— Oleksii Reznikov (@oleksiireznikov) February 3, 2023
Pullover — thanks to @Deepstate_UA for its work and creativity! pic.twitter.com/qHKxdUZ87t
The Defense Minister's statement was met with a positive response from the Ukrainian military, which is looking forward to the arrival of the advanced tanks.
Which Tanks are Coming to Ukraine?
In a show of support for Ukraine, NATO countries have pledged to send military tanks to the country. The New York Times reports that the largest donation is coming from the United States, sending 31 M1 Abrams tanks, enough to equip one Ukrainian battalion.
The same report tells us that Britain, Germany, and Poland have each committed to sending 14 tanks, with London estimating delivery of its Challenger 2s within weeks. Germany's defense minister, Boris Pistorius, has forecast that it would take Berlin three to four months to ship its Leopard 2 tanks.
Portugal has said it could give four Leopard 2s, and Norway has stated it could send eight more. Other countries, including Spain, Finland, and the Netherlands, have pledged to send Leopard 2s, while France is considering giving Ukraine an undisclosed number of its Leclerc battle tanks. Denmark has also said it could send 20 Swiss-made Piranha tanks to Ukraine, pending government approval in Bern.According to American and European officials and military experts, the estimated 100 tanks that NATO countries have pledged would require at least three months and up to a year of training before they could be used effectively.
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The Guardian reports that Germany recently greenlighted the export of older Leopard 1 battle tanks, which would increase the number of combat vehicles Berlin promised to send to Ukraine last January.A spokesperson announced on Friday, Feb. 3, that Olaf Scholz's administration had authorized the export of German-built tanks that were formerly manufactured in the 1960s and replaced by Leopard 2 tanks within Germany's own military in 2003.
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