The United States and Germany will send Ukraine combat vehicles. The Americans supply Bradleys and the Germans supply Marders. Ukraine will also receive a Patriot air defense system from Germany.
The countries announced the news after a telephone conversation between US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. In it they reiterated their support for the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine and their commitment to this.
Both countries will teach Ukrainian military personnel how to use the Bradleys and Marders, combat vehicles that are considered equivalent to each other. It is not immediately clear how many combat vehicles they will send.
The US has been using the Bradleys since the 1980s and has thousands of them. They can strengthen Ukraine in the war against Russia, but are less powerful than the Abrams tanks requested by Kiev. Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky asked Germany for Marders and Leopard 2 tanks, the German equivalent of Abrams.
Patriot
Following the example of the US, Germany also supplies a Patriot system. The Americans decided last month to provide this advanced system after Ukraine repeatedly asked for it. A Patriot can shoot missiles and planes out of the sky, up to a height of about 20 kilometers and 60 kilometers away. According to Zelensky, Germany “will make an important contribution to the interception of Russian missiles”.
The West has long been reluctant to supply heavy weapons for fear of becoming involved in the war in Ukraine itself or provoking Russia. Scholz has been more cautious than other major Western leaders on several occasions and came under further pressure after France announced on Wednesday that it would send AMX-10 RC combat vehicles.