Ukraine may not get the M1 Abrams tanks that President Joe Biden has promised until the end of this year or even next year, according to Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth.
"We're looking at the fastest way we can get the tanks to the Ukrainians," Wormuth told reporters Thursday, reports Defense News. "None of the options that we're exploring are weeks or two months. There are longer timelines involved, but I think there are options that are less than two years, less than a year-and-a-half."
President Joe Biden announced last month that the U.S. military will send 31 of the tanks to Ukraine, but Wormuth said the military does not at this time have inventory available to quickly supply those tanks.
She also said the issue is not only about delivering the tanks but also in the delivery of support equipment such as a training package, recovery vehicles, and ammunition, adding that there are "a lot of details that still need to be worked out."
There are several ways the tanks could be produced, said Wormuth, including building them "from scratch," as tanks are being built for Poland, or drawing from the U.S. inventory, including refurbished older tanks.
The Army will present the options to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who will report them to Biden for a final decision, she said.
The Biden administration announced on Friday, the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, another $2 billion in aid for Ukraine through supplying laser-guided rocket systems, drones, ammunition, and more, as well as new sanctions that target the Russian economy, reports Fox News.
The United States pledged earlier this month to send 500 armored vehicles to Ukraine and has already supplied other combat vehicles, including 1,700 Humvees.
Meanwhile, neighboring Poland has reached an agreement with the United States for 250 upgraded M1A2 Abrams tanks, which are to be delivered in 2025-2026, and in January, Poland's defense minister signed a deal for another 116 of the tanks.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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