Ukraine said Tuesday it was expecting up to 140 heavy tanks after its Western allies agreed to supply Kyiv with the powerful weapons following weeks of deliberations.
“Ukraine’s armed forces will receive between 120 and 140 modern Western tanks,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told reporters, describing the figure as the “first wave of contributions.”
“These are Leopard 2, Challenger 2, M1 Abrams,” Kuleba said, without specifying a timeline for the deliveries.
“We are very much counting on the Leclerc, too,” he said, referring to the French battle tank.
Twelve countries have agreed to send tanks, he said.
READ ALSO: One Pilot Dead After Vietnamese Military Fighter Jet Crash
Ukraine’s most senior diplomat also said that Kyiv was in negotiations to receive Western fighter jets and long-range missiles.
“These are not weapons of escalation,” he said. “These are weapons of defence and deterrence of the aggressor.”
After weeks of diplomatic wrangling, the US and Germany announced last week the deliveries of their heavy Abrams and Leopard tanks to Ukraine, a step seen as a breakthrough in efforts to support Ukraine.
AFP