UK considering supplying Ukraine with Challenger 2 tanks

Read also: Germany to supply Ukraine with more Gepard systems — Spiegel

A source with knowledge of the conversations told Sky News that discussions have been taking place “for a few weeks” about delivering a number of the British Army’s Challenger 2 main battle tank to the Ukrainian armed forces.

Such a move would mark a significant step-up in Western support to Ukraine and could help prompt other NATO allies, in particular Germany, to follow suit.

“It would encourage others to give tanks,” a Ukrainian source said.

According to Sky, no final decision has yet been made by British PM Rishi Sunak’s government, but if the United Kingdom did sign off on such a delivery, it would become the first nation to respond to pleas from Ukrainian leaders to equip their military with powerful Western tanks.

One source suggested Britain might offer around 10 Challenger 2 tanks, enough to equip a squadron.

Read also: Zelenskyy, Sunak, in phone call, discuss further defense cooperation

The source said this in itself would not be a “game changer”, but it would still be hugely significant because the move would breach a barrier that has so far prevented allies from offering up Western tanks to Ukraine for fear of being seen as overly escalatory by Russia.

That could in turn prompt other allies to do the same, sources said.

Read also: Kyiv was asking for heavy weapons months before Russia invaded, Kuleba reveals

In May 2022, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on the United Kingdom to transfer modern tanks to Ukraine, in particular the Challenger 2.

In late April 2022, the then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that London was considering the possibility of sending Challenger 2 tanks to Poland, so that Warsaw could transfer part of its T-72 tanks to Ukraine.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine