US Changes Policy, Will Send Tanks to Ukraine

US Changes Policy, Will Send Tanks to Ukraine

United States officials surprised many experts by agreeing to send M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine to fight Russian forces.

For months, U.S. officials said that it would not be a good idea to send the heavy, complicated war vehicles to Ukraine.

The big change came after intense negotiations¹ between the U.S. and its allies. The talks resulted in the U.S. announcing that it would send 31 Abrams tanks and Germany announcing it would send 14 Leopard² 2 tanks. Germany said it would also permit other countries to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

At first, Germany had been reluctant to send its Leopard tanks. Germany wanted the United States to also send Abrams tanks to avoid being the only target of Russia's anger at the move to arm Ukraine further.

However, the U.S. had said Germany's Leopards³ were a better fit for Ukrainian forces. Poland wanted to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine but needed permission from Germany, which makes the tanks.

Speaking of the agreement, German Chancellor⁴ Olaf Scholz said: "This is the result of intensive consultations⁶, once again, with our allies and international powers."

Last Friday, military officials from more than 50 countries met at Ramstein Air Base in Germany to discuss the situation in Ukraine. Tanks were a big subject. Officials from countries with Leopard tanks spoke⁷ to the German defense⁸ minister. Germany's position on the issue began to publicly soften⁹.

Recently, U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters, "Germany didn't force me to change our mind."

Why the U.S. avoided sending tanks

U.S. officials at first did not recommend sending the Abrams tanks for several reasons.

The tank is powerful and has been used in both Iraq Wars. It has a 120-millimeter gun and a high-technology targeting system. The Abrams also has a turbine engine that produces 1,500 horsepower, a very large amount of mechanical power. It can travel through snow, mud and almost any terrain¹⁰. It is also heavily armored.

But, because it has a "jet" engine, it uses huge amounts of fuel. Kevin Butler, a former Army lieutenant¹¹ who led an Abrams group, said the tanks need a constant supply of fuel to move forward.

U.S. officials worried that it would be very difficult for Ukraine to keep the tanks fueled in winter conditions. That is because their fuel trucks do not have the same ability the tanks have for going through difficult terrain.

Colin Kahl is the undersecretary for defense policy at the U.S. Department of Defense. He told reporters last week that: "The Abrams tank is a very complicated piece of equipment... it's hard to train on... it is not the easiest system to maintain."

It will require months of training for Ukrainian forces to use the complex system, to keep it running and fueled.

When the Abrams tanks will arrive remains¹² unclear. U.S. officials said the process could take "many months." The Leopard tanks will arrive sooner.

Doug Bush, an army supply official, said the U.S. no longer buys new Abrams tanks but repairs existing ones. It will take time to prepare the tanks for service. But he said the Ukrainians have shown they can learn new systems quickly.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said: "We want to make sure that they (the tanks) fall on ready hands, and that the Ukrainians know how to use them, they know how to keep them running, and they've got the supply chain in place for spare parts and supplies."

Words in This Story

reluctant –adj. showing doubt or being unwilling¹³ to do something

consultation⁵ –n. a discussion about something that needs to be decided¹⁴

terrain –n. a form of land found in an area such as mountainous, flat, river, etc.

armored –adj. covered with thick metal to protect against gunfire

supply chain –n. a system for providing supplies

 

spare –adj. extra

1 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

2 leopard   

n.豹

参考例句：

• I saw a man in a leopard skin yesterday.我昨天看见一个穿着豹皮的男人。
• The leopard's skin is marked with black spots.豹皮上有黑色斑点。

3 leopards   

n.豹( leopard的名词复数 )；本性难移

参考例句：

• Lions, tigers and leopards are all cats. 狮、虎和豹都是猫科动物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• For example, airlines never ship leopards and canaries on the same flight. 例如，飞机上从来不会同时运送豹和金丝雀。 来自英语晨读30分（初三）

4 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

5 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。

6 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

9 soften   

v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和

参考例句：

• Plastics will soften when exposed to heat.塑料适当加热就可以软化。
• This special cream will help to soften up our skin.这种特殊的护肤霜有助于使皮肤变得柔软。

10 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

11 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

12 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

13 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

14 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。