The United States its allies - Germany and France – have decided to supply armored fighting vehicles to Ukraine for its war with Russia.
In a joint statement, following a call between US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the United States said it would provide Ukraine with 50 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, a tracked armored combat vehicle that carries a powerful turret-mounted machine gun, while Germany would provide Marder Infantry Fighting Vehicles.
The statement added that both countries agreed to run training courses for the Ukrainian forces on how to use the military vehicles.
Germany also said it would provide Ukraine with a Patriot air defense battery, bringing Kiev’s number of Patriots to two after the White House announced the move last month, according to the Thursday statement.
Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Paris would send Ukraine French-made light AMX-10 RC armored combat vehicles, a highly mobile wheeled armored combat vehicle that carries a turret-mounted GIAT 105mm gun.
So far, Ukraine's demand for western main combat tanks, including US-made Abrams tanks and German Leopard tanks, has been rejected by western leaders despite Kiev’s protests.
“There is no rational reason why Ukraine has not yet been supplied with Western tanks,” Zelensky complained on Wednesday.
"We must put an end to the Russian aggression this year," he said, adding "modern Western armored vehicles and Western-type tanks" are what Ukraine needs.
In a statement posted on Telegram, Zelensky said he and Macron had "agreed on further cooperation to significantly strengthen our air defense and other defense capabilities."
Macron, last year, provided Ukraine with Caesar howitzers.
The US has already provided Ukraine with more than 2,000 combat vehicles, including 477 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles and more than 1,200 Humvees.
The Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles are part of an overall military package to be announced by the Pentagon or US State Dept. on Friday worth $3.8 billion, according to a person familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity to speak ahead of the official announcement.
The package sets aside $2.25 billion for Ukraine, which will also include 155mm artillery shells. Another $682 million in military financing will go to Eastern European countries as a loan to buy weapons and ammunition made in America by giant arms manufacturers that make up the US military-industrial complex.
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