Rishi Sunak confirms UK will send tanks to Ukraine in move set to 'enrage' Putin
British tanks will soon be rolling on Ukrainian soil as Vladimir Putin's war rages on, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has confirmed.
The PM spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today and promised to "seize the moment" by "accelerating military and diplomatic support" as Putin's troops suffer repeated humiliating defeats.
A No 10 spokesperson said: "The Prime Minister spoke to Ukrainian President Zelensky today.
“The leaders reflected on the current state of Russia’s war in Ukraine, with successive Ukrainian victories pushing Russian troops back and compounding their military and morale issues.
“They agreed on the need to seize on this moment with an acceleration of global military and diplomatic support to Ukraine.
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Rishi Sunak shakes hands with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on November 19, 2022 (UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SER)“The Prime Minister outlined the UK’s ambition to intensify our support to Ukraine, including through the provision of Challenger 2 tanks and additional artillery systems.
“The Prime Minister and President Zelensky welcomed other international commitments in this vein, including Poland’s offer to provide a company of Leopard tanks.
“The Prime Minister stressed that he and the whole UK Government would be working intensively with international partners to deliver rapidly the kind of support which will allow Ukraine to press their advantage, win this war and secure a lasting peace.”
The tank is a sophisticated military vehicle with a more robust armour and advanced technology than the tanks currently used by the Ukrainian army (Getty Images)Rumours of the tank supply plans emerged earlier this week, with experts saying the move could "enrage" the despot Putin.
Senior defence sources revealed that the British Government planned to supply Kyiv with the British Army Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank.
The Challenger 2 is a modern and sophisticated weapon of war, which is "much better protected, more reliable, quicker" than its predecessors, Colonel Hamis de Bretton Gordon, a former commander of the 1st Royal Tank Regiment, told Sky News.
Zelensky listens via video link during the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) summit in Riga (PA)Up until now, the Ukrainians had been using Soviet-era armoured vehicles alongside some newer models that had already been supplied by other allies.
The Russo-Ukrainian conflict is a grinding slog of a ground war, with artillery and tanks playing a key role in the battle.
UK tanks on Ukraine soil would be a major defiant gesture towards the Kremlin and could swing the war further in Ukraine’s favour.
Soldiers work on a Challenger 2 main battle tank during training in Hampshire (AFP via Getty Images)So far NATO has resisted Kyiv’s demands for tanks as it may escalate tensions between it and Moscow.
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Downing Street said it was important that Nato members maintained a co-ordinated response.
The Prime Minister’s office said last week: “We are working in lockstep with our G7 and other allies to guard against anything that could be escalatory.
“There’s lots of discussion among allies about how we co-ordinate the equipment we provide. First and foremost it is Russia ’s illegal invasion that is requiring these sorts of response.”
Ukrainian servicemen fire a 120 mm mortar towards Russian positions at the frontline near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP/REX/Shutterstock)The former commander of British forces in Afghanistan Colonel Richard Kemp told the Mirror exclusively: “Western countries were initially hesitant about supplying offensive weapons to Ukraine, fearful of Putin’s reaction.
“Those fears have been eased by Ukraine’s successes and Russia’s palpable weakness.
“Now Russia is preparing a major new offensive and it is likely Putin will order a second mobilisation to give him the troop numbers to overwhelm Ukraine.
A Ukrainian soldier smokes a cigaretter at his position on the frontline in Bakhmut (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP/REX/Shutterstock)“We should therefore provide Ukraine with as much weaponry as we can spare, including the ultimate offensive weapon — tanks, even though this does represent a major escalation on the part of the West and will enrage Putin.”
It comes as Ukraine is seizing the initiative in the war, driving back Russian forces and claiming a huge toll on Moscow’s troops.
Brutal fighting in Bakhmut, in Donbas, has resulted in massive casualties for Moscow, often more than 700 men killed in just one day.
A destroyed building is seen in Kharkiv (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)Moscow’s Wagner Group mercenaries are desperately trying to hold ground in the Bakhmut area but have so far lost several thousand men in the war.
It has as many as 50,000 mercenaries fighting all along the eastern front.
But Ukraine is poised to launch more major counter-offensives in the coming months.
Tank negotiations could be a signal for other allies such as Germany and the United States to follow suit.
Ukraine has been pressing for German-made Leopard IIs which are used by a number of NATO nations.
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