The British government has confirmed that it is considering providing Ukraine with tanks. Prime Minster Rishi Sunak's spokesman noted that no final decision on such assistance has been made yet, Politico reports.
However, he did not deny that the government is considering this issue.
He said that the Ukrainian government had been “pretty clear” in its demands for military aid from Western allies, “and that has included tanks.”
“When it comes to further equipment to Ukraine, you’ll know that for several months, we’ve been working with partners around the provision of tanks and armoured vehicles, artillery, air defence, and the prime minister spoke to President Zelenskyy just last week … about what can be most effective in helping Ukraine continue their progress,” the spokesperson said.
At the same time, he noted that until the decision is made, the government will not comment on assumptions about what kind of equipment can be transferred.
A senior government official said the UK could make a decision on the tanks " fairly shortly" - and "possibly" as soon as this week.
“Clearly one of the elements which Ukraine is lacking in terms of capability is main battle tanks and armoured personnel carriers in sufficient number to support offensive manoeuvre operations,” an unnamed Western official said on Tuesday. “And if the Ukrainians hope to take back territory held back by Russia, and particularly fortified territory, they need the ability and range of capabilities to allow the offensive manoeuvre.”
If the UK sends tanks to Ukraine, it will be the first Western country to provide Kyiv with this type of heavy armour.
On 9 January, Western media reported that the United Kingdom is considering the possibility of supplying tanks to Ukraine for the first time to fight the Russian occupiers. The possibility of providing the main battle tank of the British army Challenger 2 is being discussed.