Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander noted that the funds allocated earlier to the Pentagon to help Ukraine "are enough for current plans"WASHINGTON, February 28.
/tass/. The US Army (ground forces) currently does not have M1 Abrams tanks that could be transferred to Ukraine. This was stated on Tuesday by Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander at a hearing in the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives.
"As for the Abrams tanks, <...> The Army currently does not have tanks that could be transferred or sent to Ukraine," she said, answering the legislator's question why the American side intends to produce tanks for transfer to Kiev, and not send them from its own warehouses.
The congressman also asked why the transfer of tanks could take a year and a half. According to Wallander, the American side is trying to speed up the delivery of tanks to Ukraine. "But we are not reviewing the deadlines that you have outlined," she added.
Wallander noted that the funds allocated earlier to the Pentagon to help Ukraine "are sufficient for current plans." "But we will continue to conduct assessments of the level of needs." "Currently, we believe that we will spend these allocations to provide Ukraine with the funds that it will need in the current fiscal year," she added. According to Wallander, the Pentagon will consider requesting additional funds.
US Army Secretary Christine Wormut said last week that the US military is not ready now to say with certainty whether Ukraine can receive M1 Abrams tanks this year. According to her, options are being considered in which it will take "less than two years, less than a year and a half." She noted that the possibility of producing these tanks is being considered.
In January, the US authorities announced their intention to transfer 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Kiev. In turn, the German government confirmed that it would send Leopard 2 tanks from the reserves of the German Armed Forces to Ukraine and issue re-export permits to other countries.
The American side has repeatedly acknowledged the difficulties with the delivery of Abrams tanks, providing them with fuel, repair and support, as well as the need for long-term training of the Ukrainian military to manage them.
