Latest news with #AbramsTanks
Russia Today
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
US officials ‘frustrated' over Australian tank shipment to Ukraine
Australia has announced it will ship 49 decommissioned M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine after receiving approval from the US. The decision has reportedly sparked criticism from American and Australian officials alike, who question whether Ukraine will be able to actually use them due to logistics issues and vulnerability to Russian drones. The start of the delivery was confirmed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a meeting with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky in Rome on Sunday. According to ABC, the loading of the first tanks onto a cargo ship has commenced, though specific details about their location and arrival date remain undisclosed for security reasons. The transfer of the Abrams required US approval due to their American origin. While Washington eventually granted permission, US officials have privately expressed 'frustration' over the move, ABC reported. 'Last year, even before Donald Trump returned as president, we warned the Australians that sending these Abrams tanks would be complicated, and once they finally get to the battlefield, the Ukrainians will find them difficult to sustain,' one unnamed US official told the network. Australian defense officials echoed the concerns. 'We are starting to doubt if the Ukrainians actually want these vehicles. The tank roof is the weakest point of the Abrams and this is a drone war,' an ABC source noted. In late 2023, the US, under former President Joe Biden, supplied 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. Media reports claim that the heavy armor, estimated to cost $10 million each, has faced challenges on the battlefield, including drone strikes and rough terrain. Russia claims to have destroyed several Abrams tanks. In May 2024, it showcased a captured tank at a military exhibition in Moscow alongside troves of other Western equipment. Moscow has denounced the Western arms shipments to Ukraine, warning that they will only prolong the conflict without changing the outcome.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Australia sending retired Abrams tanks to Ukraine despite US objections, media reports
Australian authorities have begun loading the first of the 49 decommissioned Ukraine-bound Abrams tanks onto a cargo ship despite continued private objections from U.S. officials, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on May 19. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the upcoming delivery of the tanks when meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky in Rome on May 18. The exact date of their arrival is withheld for security reasons, ABC reported. The Australian broadcaster reported back in April that the shipments of the retired tanks, which are meant to bolster Ukrainian forces as they resist Russian aggression, are delayed in part due to resistance from Washington. These objections have not fully subsided, with at least one U.S. official questioning their usefulness on the Ukrainian battlefields, according to ABC. An undisclosed Australian defense official told the broadcaster that Canberra is uncertain whether Kyiv is even interested in the vehicles, as their weak roof makes them vulnerable to drones. U.S. officials have also reportedly pointed to difficulties with their maintenance in the demanding conditions of the Russia-Ukraine war. Despite the private protests, Washington eventually gave permission for Australia to begin shipping out the U.S.-made tanks to Ukraine, ABC reported. Australia pledged to send Kyiv the 49 M1A1 Abrams tanks as part of a broader military aid package in October 2024. Ukraine previously received 31 Abrams tanks from the Biden administration in late 2023, though it is unclear how many are still operational as of 2025. Unlike his predecessor, Joe Biden, U.S. President Donald Trump has been reluctant to allocate additional military aid to Kyiv, aiming instead to broker a peace deal with Russia. The effectiveness of Abrams tanks on the battlefield in Ukraine has been previously called into question by Western officials. The Associated Press (AP) reported in April 2024 that Ukrainian forces were pulling the tanks from the front lines due to the high risk of detection by Russian drones. The Ukrainian military denied the claim. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russia launches record 273-drone attack on Ukraine ahead of planned Trump-Putin call We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
ABC News
19-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
US officials frustrated Australia sending Abrams tanks to Ukraine
American officials remain privately frustrated over Australia's decision to donate retired Abrams tanks to Ukraine, even as the vehicles finally begin the long sea journey to the battleground. During an overnight meeting in Rome, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after he confirmed the fleet of second-hand M1A1 vehicles was on the way. The ABC has confirmed that the process of loading the first of the 49 vehicles onto a cargo ship began recently, but the government will not discuss their current location or expected arrival date in Europe for "security reasons". Before the shipping process could begin, Australia had to wait for Washington's approval to export the US-made tanks to a third country, which was granted despite American officials remaining privately frustrated about the donation. "Last year, even before Donald Trump returned as president, we warned the Australians that sending these Abrams tanks would be complicated, and once they finally get to the battlefield the Ukrainians will find them difficult to sustain," one US official told the ABC, speaking on the condition of anonymity. Last month an Australian Defence official said there were some concerns that sending the large tanks to Ukraine was not the best way to provide military assistance to the war-torn country. "We are starting to doubt if the Ukrainians actually want these vehicles. The tank roof is the weakest point of the Abrams and this is a drone war," the official said. Earlier this year, operations at a key logistics hub in Poland that will eventually receive the Australian Abrams tanks were stalled after Mr Trump suspended military aid to Ukraine. But the facility has now returned to normal business. In April, a Defence Department spokesperson told the ABC: "Australia remains on target to meet the delivery of the M1A1 Abrams in 2025, the M1A1 export process remains ongoing." "Defence continues to work with the Ukrainian government in line with agreed arrangements for the gifting, including on delivery and sustainment," the spokesperson added. In 2024, the Albanese government also faced widespread criticism for not agreeing to a Ukrainian request to donate the Australian retired fleet of advanced Taipan helicopters, which Defence insisted would be too complicated for Ukraine to operate and maintain.
ABC News
18-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Anthony Albanese tells Volodymyr Zelenskyy Australia doing 'whatever we can' to pressure on Russia
Anthony Albanese has assured Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Abrams tanks are now "on the way" to the war-torn country to help it push back Russia's invasion after meeting Ukraine's President in Rome. The prime minister has also responded cautiously to a push from the European Union to deepen defence cooperation, after European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen proposed a new security partnership with Australia. Mr Albanese held talks with both the European political heavyweights in the wake of Pope Leo XIV's inaugural mass in Vatican City on Sunday morning — an event which drew dozens of leaders and top officials from across the globe. Mr Albanese also me briefly with the pope after the mass, telling the new pontiff that his late mother would be "looking down from heaven with the biggest smile she's ever had" watching him attending the mass as prime minister. Mr Albanese's talks with Mr Zelenskyy focused on how Australia could help maximise pressure on Russia in the wake of stalled peace talks in Türkiye last week. Australia has provided about $1.5 billion in support to Ukraine, but the ABC revealed last month the fleet of retired Abrams tanks pledged to Ukraine last year remained stuck in Australia. But Mr Albanese told Mr Zelenskyy at the opening of the meeting that the tanks were now "on their way". However, he declined to provide any details to journalists after the meeting, suggesting that would undermine Ukraine's war effort. Mr Zelenskyy responded by thanking Mr Albanese for the "news" about the tanks, and praised Australia's contribution to helping Ukraine resist Russian aggression. Australia has already sanctioned some 1,400 Russian individuals and entities, but the Ukrainian president suggested he would like to see even more action from the federal government. "And we're very thankful for sanctions. I want to raise with you also this topic, which is very important: Put more pressure, more sanctions on Russia." The prime minister signalled he was open to that, saying Australia would "continue to look at whatever we can do to place pressure on Russia". The two men also discussed Australian Oscar Jenkins, who was sentenced to 13 years in a high-security Russian jail after being captured fighting for Ukraine in December last year. Mr Albanese said Australia continued to "seek his freedom and his return to Australia and we thank you for the assistance in that", suggesting Ukraine might be open to trying to secure his release through a broader prisoner swap with Russia down the track. Russia's invasion of Ukraine also featured in the prime minister's talks with Ms von der Leyen. The European Commission chief opened the meeting by saying that the EU saw Australia not just as a "trading partner" but as a "strategic partner" as well. She also suggested that the sharp deterioration of the global strategic environment should compel Australia and the EU to develop stronger defence and strategic ties. "We would very much like to broaden this strategic partnership," she told Mr Albanese. "For example, we have signed security and defence agreements with South Korea and with Japan [and] soon with the UK." "We would be very pleased if we could develop such a security and defence partnership too, just to broaden the strategic partnership in many topics that we have in common." The agreements set a broad framework to bolster security cooperation across a range of fields. For example, the security partnership between the EU and Japan commits both sides to "concrete cooperation in maritime security, space, cybersecurity, hybrid threats including foreign information manipulation and interference". But the prime minister responded cautiously, saying that while Australia was "certainly interested" in the idea, it was at the "very early stages" at this point. "I wouldn't over-read what [the] Ursula von der Leyen statements were," he said. "It was a suggestion by the president that the relationship was based upon not just economic relations, but based upon our values." The prime minister also told reporters that he met privately with members of his Italian family in Rome yesterday, after they travelled from Italy's Puglia region to see him, including his half-brother and his wife and daughter. "That was a great privilege," Mr Albanese said "They came up to Rome and it was very nice to spend a short period of time. with them. "They are very proud that someone who shares their name [is prime minister] … It was a really nice moment for them".
