‘We need to send’ Putin a message: UK minister on why tanks are now going to Ukraine

BELFAST — London’s decision to finally supply Ukraine with a squadron of 14 Challenger 2 main battle tanks was primarily driven by British assessments of Kyiv’s shifting needs and a desire to send a message to Russia, the United Kingdom’s foreign minister said today.

The decision to send the tanks, after months of advocacy by pro-Ukrainian voices and weeks of public teases, was announced after a Jan 14. phone call between UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The tanks are part of “the most significant package of combat power to date to accelerate Ukrainian success,” added Ben Wallace, UK defense secretary, during a Jan. 16 address to parliament.

Alongside the tanks, the newly approved equipment package includes “hundreds” of armored and protection vehicles like the Bulldog armored personnel carrier (APC), uncrewed aerial systems, AS90 self-propelled howitzers and Starstreak air defense missiles.

Wallace said that Russia has so far lost over 1,600 main battle tanks and that if Ukraine is to “seize the upper hand” in the next phase of the war, collective diplomatic, economic and military efforts must be accelerated. He noted that the UK continues to “closely monitor” Russia’s long range strike campaign, “as it eats deeper into its strategic reserves of modern missiles,” but warned that Moscow looks set to launch a new offensive.

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Speaking at the DC-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, UK foreign secretary James Cleverly underlined Wallace’s point that the decision was made based on conditions on the ground. Specifically, Cleverly cited an understanding that Kyiv now “needs the ability to push back hard in the East and the South” of Ukraine.

“The reason we decided to intensify our support including NATO standard bits of heavy equipment, tanks and heavy artillery….is because we need to send a really clear message to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin…that we made a commitment to support the Ukrainians until they were victorious,” Cleverly said.

The supply of Challenger 2 tanks represents a clear change in approach to handing over equipment to Kyiv. Since the early day of the war, the donation of tanks was seen as highly risky, as opponents argued such hardware could provoke escalation or overstep a Russian red line linked to the threat of nuclear war.

Equipped with a 120mm rifled gun and a 7.62mm chain gun, the 62.5 tonne vehicle operates with a crew of four, based on a commander, gunner, loader and a driver. It also adds additionally firepower to Soviet era T-72 main battle tanks which Ukraine has been overly reliant on during the war. Additionally, the vehicles are designed for high intensity conflict and destruction of enemy tanks and are battle proven following British Army deployments in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Iraq.

The British Army has never suffered a Challenger 2 combat loss “at the hands of the enemy,” according to its website, but two tank crew were killed during a friendly fire incident in Southern Iraq during a 2003 counterinsurgency mission.

One Challenger 2 squadron is currently deployed in Estonia as part of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence around the Baltic states.

Wallace also said that he will now review the current number of Challenger 2 tanks due to be upgraded to the Challenger 3 standard, based on “whether the lessons of Ukraine suggest that we need a larger tank fleet.” As plans stand, Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) holds a £800 million ($981 million) contract to deliver 148 Challenger 3 upgrades to the British Army, from an overall inventory of 227 Challenger 2 units.

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German Decisions Loom

The latest UK weapons package for Ukraine comes after Poland announced that it would send a “company” of Leopard 2 main battle tanks as part of an “international coalition effort.” However, such an ambition looks to be somewhat uncertain as any Leopard 2 approval reportedly requires German sign-off.

Cleverly said that Germany was “thinking very seriously about how it can increase its commitment” to Ukraine but added that Berlin remains “cautious about their defensive posture” relating to obvious historical issues.

“We believe the provision of NATO standard main battle tanks will be decisive and we encourage others to do so,” he said.

Despite Wallace praising the wider international military aid effort to Ukraine, mentioning the $24.2 billion contribution made by the US and the French supply of AMX-10RC armored reconnaissance vehicles specifically, German resistance remains a major obstacle to strengthening Ukrainian land warfare capabilities at a time when it readies for a counteroffensive aimed at reclaiming ground lost to Russia.

Berlin has still to approve the supply of Leopard 2 tanks from Budeswehr stocks, amid political tension tied to the decision, while the surprise resignation of defense minister Christine Lambrecht may further detail planning. Political decision making also appears to be out of step with industrial capacity after Armin Papperger, Rheinmetall CEO, told German newspaper Bild that even if Germany approves Leopard 2 supplies, the manufacturer is not in a position to deliver any to Ukraine until 2024 because repair and upgrade of 88 Leopard 1 vehicles to the updated standard would be required and needs to be pre-financed by Berlin.

A new weapons package or approval for additional military equipment to be sent to Ukraine is expected to be signed off at the next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, to be held on Jan. 20 at Ramstein Air Base, Germany and made up of NATO allies.

Cleverly seemed to suggest that equipment long requested by Ukraine, but so far refused by international partners, could be on the table in the future — potentially including fighter jets.

“Military support has evolved and will continue to evolve,” he said, when asked about the matter.