The West promises Ukraine 321 heavy tanks – Ambassador of Ukraine to France
Ambassador of Ukraine to France Vadym Omelchenko claims that Western countries have generally promised to provide Kyiv with 321 heavy tanks.
European Pravda reports that he said this on the air of French channel BFMTV.
"To date, many countries have officially confirmed their consent to the supply of 321 heavy tanks to Ukraine," the diplomat said, without specifying which countries he was talking about.
Omelchenko stressed it was important to make sure that Ukrainian troops receive tanks as quickly as possible.
"As for the delivery time, they vary on a case-by-case basis. Some people need to carry out maintenance, others solve logistics issues, and others are waiting for other models to be received in order to give away the ones that they [want to] give [to Ukraine]," the ambassador explained.
"We need this help as soon as possible. If we wait until August or September, it will be too late," he stressed.
According to Omelchenko, Ukraine is preparing for a possible Russian offensive on several fronts in the spring of 2023. "We are not afraid, we are preparing very seriously," the diplomat said.
In the context of the supply of tanks, Western media often quote the words of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who claimed in an interview with The Economist last year that Ukraine needs at least 300 tanks for a successful offensive, not to mention other equipment.
It is publicly known that, among other things, on 25 January, US President Joe Biden confirmed his intentions to transfer 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, which would be equal to one Ukrainian tank battalion, to strengthen its defence capability against the background of Russian aggression.
Britain will transfer 14 Challenger 2 tanks, and Germany is to send 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks. At the same time, France hasn't made a decision yet about the transfer of Leclerc tanks.
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