The United States announced on January 25 that it will supply Ukraine with 31 advanced M 1 Abrams tanks worth US $400 million in a matter of months, a decision that helped break a diplomatic logjam with Germany over how to help Kyiv in its war against Russia.
President Joe Biden announced the decision at the White House, saying tanks are needed to help the Ukrainians improve their ability to maneuver in open terrain. Biden thanked Germany for its decision to supply Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks, and listed the other on-the ground military hardware that other NATO allies and other European countries were providing. Germany has stepped up, he said.
Biden said that Russia's expectations are going to break up, and that they're going to be broken up. We are fully united, totally, and thoroughly. The United States had been cool to the idea of deploying the hard-to- maintain Abrams tanks, but had to change tack in order to persuade Germany to send its more easily used Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
Washington and Berlin decided to drive Russia out of territory as the Western allies help Ukraine prepare for a possible spring counter-offensive.
Biden said there was no offensive threat to Russia from the tanks.