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The Biden administration is poised to approve the transfer of M1 Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine amid growing pressure to equip Kyiv with the heavy combat vehicles.
An announcement on the transfer could come as soon as Wednesday, according to U.S. officials who spoke to the Associated Press and other outlets.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle cheered Biden’s apparent U-turn, coming after a standoff between the U.S. and Germany over who would take the first step.
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a former Marine, told The Hill that an announcement sending over Abrams tanks would be a “great first step,” but the decision should have been made last week.
“We always seem to do the right thing at the end of the day, but I don’t understand why it takes so long to do it,” he said. “I think this is pretty straightforward.”
The Abrams tanks would likely not arrive in Ukraine for months, although details are still being discussed, including how many of the tanks would be sent. At a press briefing on Tuesday, the Pentagon declined to discuss the reports.
A transfer of the battle tanks is likely to open up a direct channel for Germany to supply Kyiv with its more manageable Leopard 2 tanks. Berlin has also been under intense pressure to ship its Leopards to Kyiv or approve a transfer of the tanks from several European allies requesting the go-ahead.
Germany is also prepared to approve the transfer of Poland’s Leopard tanks to Ukraine on Wednesday, timed with the U.
