Australia has announced that it will be sending 49 ageing M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, with a value of 245 million Australian dollars. This decision comes after Ukraine had requested the use of the redundant fleet several months ago. The Australian government will be replenishing its own forces with a new fleet of 75 next-generation M1A2 tanks.
Defense Minister Richard Marles stated that the donation does not constitute a U-turn in policy, as Australia regularly evaluates how best to support Ukraine and determined that the tanks met all necessary criteria. This donation brings Australia’s military assistance to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in 2022 to over AU$1.3 billion.
The US has given regulatory clearance for the transfer of the tanks to Ukraine, as required under US International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Minister Pat Conroy emphasized that Australia is working closely with their US allies on this donation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is currently touring allied capitals to gather support for a “victory plan” that aims to bring the war to an end without territorial concessions to Russia. The US had previously agreed to send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine in January 2023.
There are no specific conditions on how Ukraine may use the tanks or whether they can be deployed across the Russian border, a departure from the policies of Ukraine’s other Western supporters. Ukrainian Ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, praised the decision as timely and fit-for-purpose.
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