Kyiv has traditionally demanded Western combat tanks for battlefield success.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
Washington may also supply dozens of M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine’s front lines.
Like Germany, the US hesitated.
Washington cited Ukrainian logistical and maintenance issues if they received the Abrams, but Berlin worried about escalation.
Both armoured vehicles are state-of-the-art and stronger than many Soviet-era tanks used by Russian and Ukrainian armies.
According to Sydney Freedberg, contributing editor of Breaking Defence, the Leopard and American Abrams are twins.
Krauss-Maffei built the Leopard 2 for the German Ministry of Defence in 1979.
Austria, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, and Turkey use them in their forces.
GDLS built the first M1 tank in 1978 and delivered it to the US Army in 1980.
“They’re alike. Heavy-armored vehicles. “Much better protected than anything the Soviets created or the Russians currently have,” Freedberg added.
Engines distinguish Abrams and Leopards.
The Leopard 2’s diesel-powered MTU MB 873 engine is easier to maintain and used across Europe, but the Abrams’ turbine engine is more powerful and complex.
Freedberg said Ukraine may struggle with logistic infrastructure including spare parts, warehousing, and maintenance because Abram tanks are used less across Europe. Complex machinery training is needed for the four-person tank.
Russia’s envoy to the US called Washington’s planned delivery of Abrams tanks to Kyiv “another clear provocation” against Moscow and warned the West would regret its “delusion” that Ukraine can triumph on the battlefield.
Al Jazeera’s defence analyst, Alex Gatopoulos, says Ukraine needs the latest main battle tanks to break through Russian defenses and reclaim land Russia took in the invasion’s early weeks.
Tanks love flat southern Ukraine. Russia is building trenches and bunkers to halt a Ukrainian advance.
Ukrainian troops would approach using tanks and infantry fighting vehicles including the Bradley, Mardar, and BMP-2.
