Ukrainian Ambassador to France Omelchenko said that Western countries have committed to provide Kiev with a total of 321 tanks of all types.
“Many countries have confirmed their agreement to supply these heavy tanks to Ukraine. The delivery time of the tanks will vary from case to case. Some countries need to maintain tanks, solve problems. about logistics or are waiting to receive the ordered tanks to deliver the ones they want to give to Ukraine,” Ukraine’s Ambassador to Paris Vadym Omelchenko said on January 27 in an interview with French TV channel BFMTV.
He did not specify which countries would deliver the tanks to Ukraine, nor did he provide details on tank models.
Ambassador Omelchenko stressed that it is important to ensure that the army receives the tanks as soon as possible. He said it would be “too late” if these 321 tanks were delivered in August or September.
According to Omelchenko, Ukraine is preparing for the possibility that Russia may launch an offensive operation on several fronts in the spring of this year. He stressed that Ukraine is not afraid but is seriously preparing for this scenario.
Ukrainian Ambassador to France Vadym Omelchenko in Vichy in September 2022. Photo: Reuters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on January 27 that the country needed 300-500 tanks for the counter-offensive operation, emphasizing that many aid weapons have not been handed over to Kiev.
US President Joe Biden on January 25 announced that the country had delivered 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. Britain and Germany will support Ukraine with 14 Challenger 2 tanks and 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks, respectively. France meanwhile has yet to decide on the delivery of Leclerc tanks to Kiev.
Russia has repeatedly stated that any weapons transferred by the West to Ukraine will only prolong the conflict and lead to unnecessary bloodshed, insisting that it will target these weapons.
Ngoc Anh (Theo Reuters, Ukrainska Pravda)