NATO members managed to pull together a plan to send battle tanks to Ukraine with Germany falling into line late on Tuesday after facing heavy international pressure. In total, 200 tanks are earmarked to be sent to support Ukrainian forces in the field. The arrival of German-made Leopard 2s and British Challenger 2 tanks will pose a serious threat to the Russian army and give Zelensky’s troops a serious offensive threat. Ukrainian crews will need to be trained in handling the new hardware which can rival Russia’s best available T90 tanks. Military analysts have stressed that the shipment of tanks and the training of Kyiv’s forces will need to be completed as fast as possible to ensure the new arrivals can have an impact on the frontlines in Eastern Ukraine before an expected Russian offensive in the Spring. Germany Olaf Sholz performed a U-turn over the supply of Leopard 2 tanks to the frontline, agreeing to send a reported 14 tanks after at first refusing to answer Kyiv’s pleas. Under the agreed plan the US will also be sending at least 30 M1 Abrams tanks. Russia’s ambassador to the US has described the development as “another blatant provocation”.
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