US leaning toward sending a significant number of Abrams tanks to Ukraine – WSJ sources (updated)

The Biden administration is leaning toward sending a significant number of Abrams M1 tanks to Ukraine and an announcement of the deliveries could come this week, US officials said, The Wall Street Journal reports.

According to WSJ, the announcement would be part of a broader diplomatic understanding with Germany in which Berlin would agree to send a smaller number of its own Leopard 2 tanks and would also approve the delivery of more of the German-made tanks by Poland and other nations.  The White House declined to comment.

Update:

Referring to three US officials familiar with the deliberations, CNN says that the Biden administration is finalizing plans to send US-made Abrams tanks to Ukraine and could announce the decision this week, although “the timing around the actual delivery of the tanks is still unclear and it normally takes several months to train troops to use the tanks effectively.”

Sky News Arabia was first to report the news that the US is considering sending the tanks.

Bloomberg notes that sending the Abrams would mark a reversal for an administration that has insisted the tank doesn’t make sense for Ukraine because it requires a special type of fuel, is too heavy and requires too much maintenance and training, “but Germany has been wary of providing its Leopard 2 battle tank unless allies do the same, and offering Abrams tanks is seen as the quickest way to ease Berlin’s concerns.”