The U.Ok. agreed to ship next-generation tanks to Kyiv in a bid “to grab on the second with an acceleration of worldwide army and diplomatic help to Ukraine,” Downing Road introduced on Saturday.
The choice, which got here following a name between U.Ok. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, put an finish to days of uncertainty on whether or not London ought to provide “game-changing” battle tanks just like the Challenger 2 to the war-stricken nation.
“The Prime Minister outlined the U.Ok.’s ambition to accentuate our help to Ukraine, together with by means of the supply of Challenger 2 tanks and extra artillery methods,” the federal government stated in a assertion.
Ukraine had beforehand requested about 300 tanks — a quantity {that a} Western official had described as “not unreasonable” to create the mass wanted for a second profitable counteroffensive in opposition to Russian invaders.
“The Prime Minister and President Zelenskyy welcomed different worldwide commitments on this vein, together with Poland’s provide to offer an organization of Leopard tanks,” in accordance with the assertion.
Warsaw already has pledged to dispatch 14 Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine “as a part of the constructing of a world coalition,” whereas German Chancellor Olaf Scholz seems to nonetheless be reluctant on whether or not to fulfill Ukraine’s rising pleas for extra weapons.
