A new Russian offensive seems imminent – which is why Ukraine says it needs as many tanks as possible | world News

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This is the most important US arms package to Ukraine since the Russians invaded.

The numbers are staggering – financially and in terms of the pieces of military hardware Americans are giving up.

The cost is around $2.5 billion (£2 billion). It includes 59 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, 90 Stryker Armored Fighting Vehicles, 350 large four-wheel drive Humvees and an icon of the US Army. There are also more than 21,000 cannonballs of various types and much more.

Missing from the list though – tanks. This is what the Ukrainian military says they desperately need if they want to defeat the Russians and not just control the front lines.

The United Nations and Ukraine recently said the world had “become complacent” about the Ukrainian nuclear threat

Why don’t the Americans supply their M1 Abrams main battle tanks? Well, ostensibly because of supply chain and maintenance issues. True, they are 10 tons or so heavier than their European counterparts, and geography makes them more difficult to deploy and maintain.

But there are lingering American concerns about provoking Vladimir Putin too much — where, Washington policymakers wonder, are his red lines?

There is confusion and frustration among the military sources I spoke with about why the Biden administration could not deliver just a few tanks to open the German impasse and increase the number of Ukrainians by even a few.

The criticism is that the Americans consistently provide enough weapons to sustain the war, but not enough to end it with a Ukrainian victory.

Read more: Berlin asked permission to send German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine Ben Wallace reveals that sending Ukrainian tanks weakens British forces, says army chief.

Do some American policymakers see a strategic opportunity to prolong the war to bring down the Russian military and Mr. Putin himself?

One other related development – the director of the CIA has been in Kyiv for the past few days to meet with the Ukrainian leadership.

Image: Britain sent Challenger 2 tanks for use in Ukraine

Beyond the tanks, the discussion could have focused on what Putin has planned for the coming weeks and months.

Remember, a year ago, American intelligence was on the spot when the CIA repeatedly warned that Ukraine was about to be invaded. Many doubted that Putin would actually do this. But he did.

The suggestion is that a new Russian offensive is imminent.

That is why the Ukrainians on the front line say they need as many tanks as possible.

The Ukrainian leadership is wary of Western fatigue over Ukraine. From my perspective in Washington, there is certainly growing concern among Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill about what they see as the unchecked and seemingly endless flow of weapons into Ukraine.

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