A former top NATO commander stated that the decision by a number of Western nations to send tanks to Ukraine will create “real problems” for Russian President Vladimir Putin in his almost year-long war in Ukraine.
In an interview that aired on Sunday, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander James Stavridis told John Catsimatidis on his WABC radio show, “When you put these three types of tanks together and bring them in real numbers into Ukraine, and I would estimate there will be at least 100, possibly as many as 200 by mid-spring, say the end of March, that creates real problems for Putin.”
Stavridis stated that the Russian leader’s military troops are dispersed over a front that stretches hundreds of miles from Russia through eastern Ukraine, where some of the hardest combat is occurring, to Crimea on the Black Sea.
Stavridis, a former admiral, stated, ” With these tanks, the Ukrainians can conceal that armor and use it to punch through the Russian line and separate them, peel them apart, and break their logistics chain, thereby reducing Russia’s ability to continue its offensive operations.”
He stated that the tanks represent a “crucial moment” in the conflict that Russia initiated against its neighbor in February of last year.
“It’s a difficult day for the Kremlin because he sees the solidarity of the West… “All NATO nations have pulled together,” Stavridis stated.
It is a powerful political and diplomatic signal. And this is a significant military step for the alliance,” he said. After months of Ukrainian pressure, President Biden announced last week that the United States will deliver 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine.
The German government has stated that it will deploy 14 Leopard 2 tanks, while the British government will provide 14 Challenger 2 tanks and Poland will contribute 60 tanks, including 30 PT-91s.
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