On Monday, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Warsaw has delivered tanks to Ukraine as the US and its NATO allies are working to provide Kyiv with heavier weapons despite warnings from Moscow.
Morawiecki wouldn’t detail what types of tanks or how many were sent to Ukraine. Earlier this month, the Czech Republic sent over a dozen Soviet-designed T-72 tanks, and other NATO members are planning to get more tanks into Kyiv’s hands.
In the face of criticism for not sending heavy equipment into Ukraine, Germany announced a plan last week to backfill the stocks of European countries that have Soviet-made equipment that can be used by Ukrainian forces. Slovenia is expected to send a large number of T-72 tanks to Ukraine in exchange for German-made Marder tanks, and Fox wheeled tanks.
The UK announced Monday a plan to send Stormer armored vehicles armed with anti-aircraft missile launchers to Ukraine. “I can now announce to the House that we will be gifting a small number of armored vehicles fitted with launchers for those anti-air missiles,” British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said.
The Pentagon said last week that Kyiv has received fighter jets but wouldn’t say which country they came from. Poland had previously offered to transfer MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine by giving them to the US first, but the Pentagon backed out of the plan.
Earlier this month, Russia formally asked the US to stop arming Ukraine, and Russia’s ambassador to the US made a fresh warning on Monday. “What the Americans are doing is pouring oil on the flames,” Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov said. “I see only an attempt to raise the stakes, to aggravate the situation, to see more losses.”
“We stressed the unacceptability of this situation when the United States of America pours weapons into Ukraine, and we demanded an end to this practice,” Antonov added.
Poland owes the Russians a favor.
This is such an absurdity. A dozen 40 year old T-72s, that have been rusting in a Czech equipment yard, driven (or pushed…) over the Ukrainian border. Now, only 1200 km to go in order to enter the fighting in the Donbas; I doubt they make it 120 km before either breaking down, or, if put on lowboys and transported on the highway, they get turned into scrap before they even reach the Dnieper (half way). Thanks for the Help.
But what do the Czechs care? They got rid of some old junk and in exchange the Germans will give them newer, far more effective, NATO-compatible AFVs for FREE. One hell of a deal.
Escalation will turn more of Ukraine* into a battlefield. I am antiwar.
*neighboring areas of Russia,possibly Moldova & Poland also.
jestem antywojenny
Now that Russia is hitting the rail lines and rail electrical substations, only some diesel trains can run in Ukraine, so those tanks will go nowhere.
Sure did! Plenty of money slushing around greasing pockets. Many a politician in US and Eurole will get addicted to easy money, with blackmail to come as a package.
Putin has cut Russian gas supply to Poland. The great majority of Polish power is still produced by dirty coal hence the loss of gas does not hurt Poland much but our atmosphere does not like it.
Sending masses and masses of weapons to an unstable government with a history of corruption is quite a concept. As we’ve seen throughout the world when we arm or train militaries, the military often comes to power (the Middle East, South and Central America). Who are the most ferocious fighters in the Ukraine? Sad irony in 10 years is they rise to power and threaten Europe with Nazism after having been armed by it.