Two Meanings of the Supply of Tanks by the West
(Numata Kuon: novelist, military critic, former SDF officer)
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched an invasion aimed at occupying all of Ukraine, along with parts of Crimea, Donbass and Luhansk, which Russia had occupied since 2014. Almost a year has passed since then.
Major tank-producing countries such as the United States and Germany have so far refused to supply tanks to Ukraine. However, there is also pressure from NATO countries that are actively supporting Ukraine, and three types of third-generation tanks, the British “Challenger 2”, the German “Leopard 2”, and the American “M1 Abrams”, will be provided to Ukraine. is decided.
It will be some time before these tanks actually appear on the Ukrainian battlefields, as crews need to be trained and more. However, the impact on the battlefield is already visible.
Below, I would like to consider the reasons why countries such as the United States have decided to provide tanks now.
American speculation out of place
The fact that Russia was a permanent member of the United Nations seems to have had an effect, but from the time Russia began to invade Ukraine on February 24th until around the summer of last year, the United States was forced by economic sanctions and aid to Ukraine. There is a section that thought that Russia could be forced to withdraw. It was a time when Secretary of State Brinken, known for his hard-line stance against Russia, flew around the United Nations and other countries to appeal for stronger sanctions.