By Lara Seligman and Paul McLeary
01/18/2023 01:15 PM EST
Updated: 01/18/2023 05:38 PM EST
The U.S. is gearing up to announce a major new weapons package for Ukraine on Friday, as top military leaders from around the world gather in Germany to discuss how to help Kyiv in its fight against Russia, according to three U.S. officials and another person familiar with the discussions.
While the next tranche will include additional artillery, ammunition and armor — likely Stryker armored combat vehicles — the U.S. is not expected to sign off on American M1 Abrams tanks, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the talks ahead of an announcement.
The Biden administration currently has no plans to send the Abrams, the Army’s 60-ton main battle tank, the people said.
The reluctance is due to the logistical and maintenance challenges of the tanks, and not over concern that their transfer could escalate the conflict, one of the U.S. officials said. This person noted that the U.S. has helped Ukraine obtain Soviet-era tanks and supports the British decision to send around a dozen of its Challenger 2 tanks.
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https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/18/major-military-package-ukraine-russia-00078331
