Top U.S. officials don't want to give Ukraine tanks despite German pressure

From NBC News | Politics by Courtney Kube, Carol E. Lee and Raf Sanchez

Despite German efforts to pressure the U.S. into providing Abrams tanks to Ukraine, the Pentagon’s top leaders are against sending them, three U.S. officials said.

The German government signaled it may send its own Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine if the U.S. also agrees to send Ukraine the M1 Abrams, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz insisting Germany will only act in concert with allies.

The three U.S. officials said Berlin has tried to put the U.S. on the spot about sending Abrams tanks, and there has been frustration within the Biden administration with Germany over the back and forth. The officials insist the German pressure is not going to work.

At the same time, the officials said President Joe Biden would not pressure Germany to send the Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

Photo by Mateusz Slodkowski / AFP via Getty Iamges

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