On his 45th birthday, President Zelensky receives the most welcome gift: Dozens of Western tanks to reinforce Kyiv’s position on the groundOn the verge of the second year of the war and amidst fears of the Russian spring offensive. Even if it takes months to put them at the disposal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In the wake of media rumors, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s official approval to send 14 Leopard 2s to Ukraine, a green light for other countries to supply German-made tanks—particularly Poland—and a promise to train Ukrainians in their own country, arrived. used in Germany. A few hours later, Washington announced the supply of 31 Abrams tanks, completing the tandem of European-American heavy weapons for Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Western allies to possess long-range missiles and combat aircraft for the war in Ukraine, after Washington and Berlin moved ahead with sending tanks to Kyiv.. “Today I spoke with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. We need to open up the supply of long-range missiles to Ukraine, and this is important: we also need to expand our cooperation in the field of artillery” and make it possible “to supply aircraft to Ukraine,” Zelensky said in his daily address. Reported by Ukrinform.
Joe Biden statement
“They are the most powerful tanks in the worldOr, “Biden confirmed after he had a” long conversation “with Schultz, French President Macron, British Prime Minister Sunak and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to represent Italy, which the American leader thanked for sending artillery in Kyiv in support of Ukraine,” explained the head of the White House, emphasizing that Germany It’s not the one that “forced him to change his mind” about sending the Abrams family, which isn’t an “attack on Russia,” then he makes a point of clarification.
Moscow, which condemned the Western move, has a completely different ideaKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Abrams in Ukraine would “burn in the same way” as other tanks, while the Russian ambassador to Germany called Schultz’s decision “extremely dangerous”. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said moving forward with the Panthers case was a “historic decision”. The chancellor highlighted that Berlin’s choice came with “coordinated and internationally agreed action” and emphasized his support for Kiev, but also the need to avoid “an escalation that would lead to a clash between NATO and Russia.” According to Spiegel, the European allies are ready to give Ukraine 80 Leopard 2 tanks for two battalions of 40 vehicles. Twelve countries were going to agree to supply German tanks, certainly including Poland and Norway. He then joins the allied Fourteen Panthers promised by London and now by the American Abrams, an “important step toward victory” for Kyiv, according to Zelensky, who thanked Schulz and Biden but urged them to hurry. If Ukraine rejoices, on the other hand, the numbers and delivery dates are troubling, “crucial” details for the Ukrainian president.
Pistorius said it would take “at least three months” for the Berlin Tigers to reach Ukraine.. Whereas the American Abrams would have to be produced from scratch, even here “it would take months,” according to US officials. Biden said that training Ukrainian forces on American tanks “will start soon,” warning that they are very complex tanks and “it will take time.” Thus, Kyiv will have to wait. But meanwhile, having collected the tanks, the Ukrainian government immediately appealed to the requests: “Now we also need F16s, F35s, Eurofighters, Tornadoes and warships,” relaunched Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister, Andrij Melnyk, who in this case received Scholz. not dry.
Germany and NATO will not send fighters or soldiers. Indeed, Western tanks are enough to increase tensions with Moscow. Kyiv also considered adding fuel to the fire, with the intelligence service upping the ante by suggesting that the Kremlin is within range of Ukrainian military assets and for this reason Moscow was going to start deploying air defense systems in the capital. The sharp Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolak later emphasized that “the internal escalation of the war in Russia is inevitable.” The statements made by the Kremlin spokesman are “confirmation of the correctness” of the decision to launch a “special military operation” in Ukraine “to protect us from this danger.” And while Putin promises that Russia will not allow its “historic lands” in Donbass to be threatened, the news of the Russian Navy’s maneuvers with the Zircon hypersonic missile is frightening. In short, peace is still a mirage, war continues, and people run to arms. NATO Secretary Stoltenberg asked NATO members to exceed 2% of defense investments, while the Pentagon announced a six-fold increase in the production of 155mm shells, which are the shells needed by Ukrainian forces. The struggle will be long
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