The US administration announced that Germany would send M1 Abrams tanks to address the concerns of Germany about giving Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, but it was a matter of curiosity when these tanks would go to Ukraine at the earliest.
“WE HAVE NO EXCESS TANKS”
“Does the US have a shortage of M1 Arbrams? Why didn’t you procure them from the US inventory in order to take them to war as soon as possible? Doesn’t your supply this way mean the tanks can’t be shipped before a year?” To the question, Deputy Spokesman Signh replied, “The US does not have surplus tanks, so it will take months to supply M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine.”
Stating that the tanks will be purchased with the money to be provided by the Ukraine Security Assistance Fund (USAI), Singh said that studies are continuing to determine the training, maintenance and maintenance processes for these tanks.
COMMENTS WERE MADE TO EXTEND THE TANK SENDING PROCESS
Answering questions about the reason why the US administration’s view that “Abrams tanks were not given to Ukraine on the grounds that there are great difficulties in their maintenance and maintenance” changed in a short time, Singh said:
“We stand behind the statements we made here, as well as the statements made by the Minister and the Chief of Staff. These will be very difficult to maintain and maintain. However, after the Minister’s Ukraine Contact Group Meeting with partners and allies, the capabilities that can be sent to the battlefield immediately or shortly.” “Our decision to deliver the Abrams tanks is a manifestation of our long-term commitment as part of that. It was timely to announce it, as our partners and allies announced the weapons they would deliver to Ukraine.”
It is interpreted that the US administration’s definition of Abrams tanks as a “long-term commitment” and their purchase rather than army inventory is an effort to extend the process of sending tanks to Ukraine as much as possible.
THE DISCUSSION BEHIND THE USA’S TANK DECISION
The US administration, citing maintenance, maintenance and training, was claiming that the delivery of Abrams tanks to Ukraine was not appropriate at this stage.
At the meeting of the defense ministers of 50 countries, known as the Ukraine Contact Group, on January 18-20 at the Ramstein base in Germany, with the agenda of Ukraine, it was claimed that Germany announced that it would not give tanks to Ukraine before the United States.
At the same time, Berlin did not give approval to other countries that wanted to give German-made tanks to Ukraine, which caused controversy.
It is stated that Germany’s reluctance to supply tanks to Ukraine before the US and its refusal to approve the delivery of German-made tanks to the Ukrainian army by other states forced Washington to take a step.
Simultaneously with the US taking this decision, Germany also announced that it would give Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and that it would approve other countries to give German-made tanks to Ukraine.