After the announcement of France which is committed to delivering light combat tanks to Ukraine, the United States and Germany have jointly announced the upcoming dispatch of light armored vehicles to kyiv.
The United States and Germany plan to deliver armored infantry to Ukraine, of the Bradley type on the American side and of the Marder model on the German side, according to a joint statement from the White House and the Chancellery in Berlin. Germany, under international pressure to beef up its military assistance to Ukraine, has also pledged to provide a Patriot air defense battery, as the United States has already done.
These announcements follow a telephone conversation between US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who expressed their “joint determination” to support Ukraine, according to this press release.
France, for its part, promised Ukraine on Wednesday to deliver light combat tanks to it. AMX-10 RC, which had further increased the pressure on the German Chancellor, regularly accused of dragging his feet when it comes to militarily supporting Ukraine. According to the magazine Der Spiegelthe number of Marder armor provided will be between 20 and 40.
Ukraine’s European allies have delivered Soviet-designed tanks before, but never yet Western-made tanks, despite repeated requests from kyiv.
In service since the 1970s, the Marder are light armored vehicles intended for troop transport. Their main armament is a 20mm cannon. The Bradleys are machines more or less of the same family, in service since the beginning of the 1980s. In the M2 model, they are equipped with a 25 mm cannon as well as an anti-tank missile launcher, and can carry, in addition to the crew, six fighters.
Ukraine is also calling for proper, more powerfully armed tanks, for example German Leopard 2 tanks.
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(With AFP)