London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, May 12, 2025

UK confirms it is considering supplying Ukraine with tanks

UK confirms it is considering supplying Ukraine with tanks

Move would make UK the first Western country to provide tanks to Kyiv.
The U.K. government is considering supplying Ukraine with British-made Challenger 2 tanks, officials have confirmed.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson said Tuesday that the U.K. has not yet made any final decisions on the provision of modern battle tanks — but did not deny that the government is mulling the issue.

He said the Ukrainian government had been “pretty clear” in its demands for military aid from Western allies, “and that has included tanks.”

“When it comes to further equipment to Ukraine, you’ll know that for several months, we’ve been working with partners around the provision of tanks and armored vehicles, artillery, air defense, and the prime minister spoke to [Ukrainian] President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy just last week … about what can be most effective in helping Ukraine continue their progress,” the spokesperson said.

“Until decisions are made on these sorts of things, we don’t comment on speculation around what further equipment may or may not be sent,” they added.

A senior government official said the U.K. could take a decision on the supply of tanks “fairly shortly” — and “possibly” as early as this week.

“Clearly one of the elements which Ukraine is lacking in terms of capability is main battle tanks and armored personnel carriers in sufficient number to support offensive maneuver operations,” a separate Western official said Tuesday. “And if the Ukrainians hope to take back territory held back by Russia, and particularly fortified territory, they need the ability and range of capabilities to allow the offensive maneuver.”

If Britain sends tanks to Ukraine, it would become the first Western country to provide this type of heavy armor to Kyiv.

Such a move would pile pressure on Germany to authorize allies with German-made Leopard 2 tanks to shift some of them to Ukraine, ahead of a meeting of Western defense ministers on January 20 to coordinate military support to the war-torn country.

Berlin has so far resisted the move, fearing it could lead to an escalation and be seen by the Kremlin as a step too far for NATO in the war between Ukraine and Russia.

Central and Eastern European countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic have already sent Soviet-era T-72 tanks to Kyiv, but the Ukrainian government is making the case for modern heavy armor to complement its infantry and artillery operations in a bid to regain territory occupied by Russia.

Ukraine is seeking main battle tanks and an increased number of armored personnel carriers in order to win back Russian-occupied territory, the same Western official quoted above said. “The Ukrainians will look at all partners who might provide for tanks and aren’t going to be particularly worried about where they come from — just as long as they come in sufficient volume.”

A number of Challenger 2 tanks are in operation in Estonia, and were deployed as part of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence in the Baltic region. Some have also been deployed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Iraq.

Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the House of Commons defense committee, said Tuesday that the U.K. should “absolutely” supply Ukrainian forces with British tanks.

“This is our war, but we’ve left the Ukrainians to do the fighting,” the Conservative MP told BBC Radio 4.

“It’s not just the moralistic issue here, it’s the fact that Russia is now pushing this against the wider West, so I very much welcome the fact that we’re now thinking about sending main battle tanks.”

Earlier Tuesday, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said Russia was now fighting NATO in Ukraine.

“The events in Ukraine are not a clash between Moscow and Kyiv, this is a military confrontation between Russia and NATO, and above all the United States and England, with Russia,” Patrushev, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, told the Argumenti i Fakti newspaper in an interview.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Arsenal Stages Comeback to Draw 2-2 Against Liverpool in Premier League Clash
Trump's Upcoming Visit to Gulf Nations: Investment and Security at the Forefront
Rodrigo Duterte Awaits Trial at The Hague. Next week he might be elected mayor of his hometown
Trump fires director of U.S. Copyright Office, sources say
Retired British police officer arrested over ‘thought crime’ tweet
Cardinal Robert Prevost Elected as Pope Leo XIV, Marking a Historic Papacy
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka Arrested at ICE Facility Amid Congressional Visit
India-Pakistan conflict may be first test for Chinese military tech
Bill Gates Announces Plan to Wind Down Philanthropic Foundation and Disperse Wealth
Historic Papal Conclave Set to Commence in Rome
Huge Copper, Gold, and Silver Discovery in Argentina and Chile — But the Profits Go Abroad
Prince Harry is pleading for reconciliation — but the royals are just as sick of his victimhood as everyone else
The Road to Freedom: She Protested Putin, Escaped House Arrest, and Survived a 2,800-Kilometer Journey
OpenAI's Flip-Flop: No Longer Going Commercial, Back to Nonprofit, After Musk Lawsuit and Backlash
“Trump Supporter” Aims to Bring a MAGA-Style Shift to Romania
First From China: Zhao Xintong Wins the Snooker World Championship
Nvidia Faces Billion-Dollar Losses – Warns: China Is on Its Way to Becoming an AI Superpower
Trump Rules Out Third Term, Names JD Vance and Marco Rubio as Potential Successors
Mexico Says ‘No’ to U.S. Troops: President Sheinbaum Rejects Trump’s Offer to Fight Cartels
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Storms the Map, Wrecking the Two-Party Monopoly
DOGE: Reimagining Government Operations with AI
Common Sense Returns to Britain's Legal System: UK Supreme Court Declares a Woman Is… a Woman
Beijing Says U.S. Is ‘Reaching Out’ for Tariff Talks Amid Soaring Trade Tensions
U.K. Court Rejects Prince Harry’s Final Appeal Over Police Security
Prince Harry’s Heartfelt Outburst Rocks the Royal Family
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Transgender Swimmer Secures Five Gold Medals at U.S. Masters Championship
Prince Harry: “I Want Reconciliation with My Family”
Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has now been officially labeled “right-wing extremist” by the federal office for the so-called “protection of the constitution.”
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
Transformative Changes in Women's Wrestling: The Rise of WWE Superstars
The Rush to the White Gold: Global Investment Surge in Natural Hydrogen Exploration
This is a day in Spain without electricity and internet
Reform UK Surprises in British Elections, Challenging Traditional Two-Party System
180-Year-Old Christian University in South Carolina Announces Closure Due to Unmet $6 Million Fundraising Goal
Brazilian Woman Jailed for Fourteen Years for Writing “You Lost, Idiot” on Statue During Protest
Trump Administration Removes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Amid Signal Chat Controversy
Dutch Politician Eva Vlaardingerbroek Receives Spyware Threat Alert from Apple
Paramount Board Considers Settlement in Trump’s $20 Billion Lawsuit Over "60 Minutes" Interview
U.S. Economy Shrink in Trump’s First Quarter as Tariff Policy Raises Questions
Deadline Looms for RTS Meter Replacement: Hundreds of Thousands at Risk of Heating Disruption
Sweden Grapples with Deadly Gun Violence: Suspect Arrested After Three Young Men Killed in Uppsala Hair Salon
Walz Reveals Why Harris Chose Him as Her Running Mate and Reflects on Democratic Losses
Spain Restores Power After Unprecedented Nationwide Blackout
Carney Secures Liberal Mandate in Canada’s Federal Election
Death Penalty Sought as Luigi Manion Pleads Not Guilty in CEO Murder Case
President Trump contacts Jeff Bezos after reports of Amazon considering listing tariff surcharges; company clarifies no such plan for main platform
Spain and Portugal Recover from Massive Blackout
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
Singapore Politicians Warn Against Foreign Interference in Election
×