The first tranche of President Joe Biden’s long-promised M1 main battle tanks for Ukraine will arrive in theater next week, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky was assured Thursday during a White House meeting.
The U.S.-made tanks will be paired with 120mm armor-piercing depleted uranium rounds.
Biden said he had “approved the next tranche of security assistance for Ukraine,” which the Pentagon later valued at $325 million, even as nearly two dozen Republican senators and lawmakers came out against more funding for Ukraine saying “enough is enough.”
First Lady Jill Biden, from left, U.S. President Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine’s president, and Olena Zelenska, Ukraine’s first lady, from left, walk towards the White House during an arrival ceremony in Washington, DC, on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. (Julia Nikhinson/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty)
The package includes air defense missiles, ammunition for HIMARS precision rocket launchers, anti-tank weapons, and artillery rounds.
The fulfilment of a promise Biden made in January came as he assured Kyiv his administration would continue to support the war effort against invading Russian forces, Le Monde reported.
The president agreed to send 31 Abrams tanks at the start of the year as part of a reversal from when the administration initially argued the tanks would be of little benefit to Ukraine, as Breitbart News reported.
The tanks had to be procured, and Ukrainian forces had to be trained on the machines.
The U.S. is also focused on improving Ukraine’s air defense capabilities so it can protect infrastructure that provides heat and light as it prepares for winter.
Biden used prepared remarks to outline ongoing U.S. support for Ukraine is about “the future of freedom.”
“America can never, will never walk away from that,” he said. “That’s why 575 days later, we stand with Ukraine, and we’ll continue to stand with Mr. President.”
“Mr. President, we’re with you. And we’re staying with you,” he added.
Zelensky’s visit to Washington came as the Biden administration sent Congress a supplemental funding request that includes another $24 billion in military, humanitarian and financial assistance for Ukraine.
Not everyone was enthused at the prospect of more U.S. taxpayer dollars being sent to Ukraine.
Zelensky faced pushback from Republicans in Congress who have become more impatient about the war and U.S. funding for it.
“Where is the accountability on the money we already spent?” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, (R-Calif), told reporters Wednesday. “What is the plan for victory? I think that’s what the American public wants to know.”