Ukraine war: Zelensky urges speedy delivery of Western tanks - BBC

Ukraine's president has thanked Western leaders for sending tanks to enactment the combat against Russia, but said they needed to beryllium delivered quickly.

In his nightly address, Volodymyr Zelensky besides urged the West to nonstop long-range missiles and combatant jets.

His comments came aft the US and Germany announced they would nonstop Abrams and Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

Russia condemned the announcement arsenic a "blatant provocation" and said immoderate supplied tanks would beryllium destroyed.

"These tanks pain similar each the rest. They are conscionable precise expensive," President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson said.

Mr Zelensky said helium told Nato caput wide Jens Stoltenberg that "progress indispensable beryllium made successful different aspects of our defence co-operation" - with Ukraine seeking supplies of long-range missiles and artillery.

He besides pressed for not conscionable the punctual transportation of Western tanks but besides successful important numbers: "We indispensable signifier specified a vessel force, specified a state unit that aft it strikes, tyranny volition ne'er again emergence up," helium said.

US President Joe Biden announced connected Wednesday that the US volition nonstop 31 M1 Abrams conflict tanks to Ukraine.

The determination to present the tanks was announced conscionable hours aft Germany said it would nonstop 14 of its Leopard 2s to the Ukrainian battlefield.

Berlin besides cleared the mode for different European countries to donate German-made tanks from their ain stocks.

Ukraine has lobbied Western allies to nonstop the instrumentality for months.

It hailed the duplicate announcements arsenic a turning constituent that would let its subject to regain momentum and instrumentality backmost occupied territory astir a twelvemonth aft Moscow invaded.

It besides said the tanks could assistance deter a imaginable Russian violative successful the spring.

Announcing the determination to enactment its tanks connected the battlefield, US President Joe Biden said that "Putin expected Europe and the United States to weaken our resolve", adding: "He was incorrect from the opening and helium continues to beryllium wrong."

"We're besides giving Ukraine the parts and instrumentality indispensable to efficaciously prolong these tanks successful battle," helium said.

"This is astir helping Ukraine support and support Ukrainian land. It is not an violative menace to Russia."

A Ukrainian vessel battalion typically consists of 31 tanks, which is wherefore that fig has been agreed upon, Mr Biden said.

The US decision, however, marks a reversal successful their presumption arsenic the Biden medication has insisted for immoderate clip that the dense M1 Abrams tanks would beryllium hard to deliver, costly to support and challenging for Ukrainian troops to operate.

The US-made subject conveyance is 1 of the astir modern conflict tanks successful the satellite and requires extended grooming to operate.

The $400m (£323m) US bundle besides includes 8 betterment vehicles that tin tow the tanks if they go stuck, arsenic good arsenic ammunition, equipment, and backing for grooming and maintenance.

But it is apt to beryllium galore months earlier the tanks scope the battlefield.

White House nationalist information spokesperson John Kirby said determination are nary excess Abrams tanks successful the US inventory. As such, they volition person to beryllium purchased from backstage contractors oregon bought from different country,

The German-made Leopard 2 tanks, however, volition beryllium drawn from existing inventories and are expected to get successful 2 to 3 months. They are wide seen arsenic 1 of the astir effectual conflict tanks available.

The determination to nonstop the dense weapons follows weeks of diplomatic wrangling. Germany faced mounting planetary unit to nonstop the tanks, and determination are reports that the eventual determination to bash truthful was conditional connected the US doing the same.

When asked if the US determination was designed to springiness Germany screen to nonstop tanks, Mr Kirby said: "I wouldn't usage the connection cover. What this determination does bash is amusement however unified we are with our allies."

He attributed the alteration successful Washington's presumption to the conditions connected the crushed arsenic good arsenic Russia's tactics, without giving further details.

Ukrainian crews would soon beryllium trained to usage the Leopard tanks successful Germany, officials successful Berlin said.

While the acquisition of tanks from the West volition beryllium considered a diplomatic coup for Mr Zelensky, helium said connected Tuesday that his state required astatine slightest 300 of them to decision Russia.

Several European countries person Leopard 2 tanks successful their inventories, and the German determination means immoderate of these tin besides beryllium sent to Ukraine. Germany hopes astir 90 volition yet beryllium delivered to the battlefield.

Poland wants to export 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and Norway announced aboriginal connected Wednesday that it would nonstop immoderate of its armoured vehicles - though it did not authorities however many.

The UK was the archetypal Nato subordinate to donate modern tanks to Ukraine erstwhile Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's authorities announced that 14 Challenger 2s - the British army's main conflict vessel - would beryllium provided.