The US President additionally introduced a brand new help package deal to Kiev, but it surely didn’t embrace long-range ATACMS missiles
US President Joe Biden introduced that the primary American Abrams M1 tanks would attain Ukraine inside days as he met along with his Ukrainian counterpart, Vladimir Zelensky, on the White Home.
“Subsequent week, the primary US Abrams tanks shall be delivered in Ukraine,” Biden promised after the talks on Thursday.
The US chief mentioned he had additionally “accepted the subsequent tranche of safety help” for Kiev.
The Pentagon later valued the package deal at $325 million, saying it contains air defenses, ammunition for HIMARS a number of rocket launchers, anti-tank weapons, and artillery rounds.
The long-range ATACMS missiles, which Kiev had been requesting from Washington for months, have been absent from the brand new spherical of army help.
Biden insisted that the US help for Ukraine is about “the way forward for freedom,” which “America can by no means, won’t ever stroll away from.” He additionally assured Zelensky that “we’re with you. And we’re staying with you.”
The Ukrainian chief thanked Biden and the American individuals for all their assist amid the battle with Russia, saying that the brand new help package deal was “precisely what our troopers want.”
In January, the US pledged to supply Kiev with 31 Abrams M1 battle tanks. These tanks shall be of the older M1A1 variant, which lacks a number of the extra superior applied sciences. Washington will even ship 120mm armor-piercing depleted uranium rounds to Kiev along with the tanks. Some research hyperlink the controversial munitions to most cancers, congenital disabilities, and different well being issues among the many inhabitants in areas the place such shells have been used.
The 70-ton Abrams M1s shall be arriving in Ukraine nearly 4 months after the launch of Kiev’s counteroffensive and forward of the area’s mud season, which may critically complicate any offensive operations. Final week, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Employees, informed the BBC that Ukraine had “about 30 to 45 days’ price of combating climate left.”
Kiev’s forces have been utilizing German-made Leopard 2 tanks and US-made Bradley combating autos because the begin of the counteroffensive, shedding a number of dozen of these autos. British Challenger 2s have additionally been noticed on the frontline in early September. Not less than two of these tanks have reportedly been destroyed by Russian forces, and London has confirmed the lack of one.
Regardless of utilizing Western {hardware}, Ukraine has been unable to realize its declared goal of splitting the Russian entrance in two in Zaporozhye Area. Throughout its counteroffensive, Kiev has solely managed to seize a handful of small villages a ways away from the principle Russian protection traces. Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned final week that the Ukrainian army has misplaced greater than 71,000 troops and over 540 tanks because the starting of summer season.
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