UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Sunday confirmed the first-ever dispatch of a consignment of 14 Challenger 2 tanks and self-propelled guns to fight the Russian invasion in Ukraine and «break the deadlock».
On the eve of the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine, the British government has insisted on the need for an «international strategy to break the stalemate», as it considers that the current scenario of a static war is only beneficial for Russia.
UK defense and security officials have considered that «a window has opened in which Russia is at a disadvantage» due to resupply problems and a drop in morale among troops. Therefore, the prime minister «encourages allies to deploy their support planned for 2023 as soon as possible to have the maximum impact,» the British government added in its statement.
In this sense, the dispatch of Challenger 2 tanks, as acknowledged by the country’s authorities, is «the start of a change of gear in UK support». A squadron of 14 combat tanks will arrive in Ukraine in the coming weeks, along with another batch of AS90 Model 30 self-propelled guns. The defense official will give more details on the artillery and military support next Monday.
Sunak also confirmed that the UK will begin training Ukrainian soldiers in the use of these tanks and guns in the coming days, as the country has done on several occasions over the past six months.
In this context, an extraordinary meeting will take place this week between the foreign and defense ministers together with their counterparts to push for such international action, with the aim of accelerating in the coming days the UK’s diplomatic and military support to Ukraine.
According to the Downing Street statement, Sunak is committed to «match or exceed» the UK’s defense support to Ukraine by 2023, and has already instructed his ministers and officials to be «as proactive as possible».
The UK Defense Secretary will travel to Estonia and Germany this week to work with NATO allies and other international partners to provide a coordinated response to Russian attacks.
For his part, the Foreign Secretary will travel to the United States later this week to discuss how both countries can leverage their role in pushing for further international action in the Ukrainian war.
RUSSIA ACCUSES UK OF EXTENDING CONFLICT By contrast, the Russian Embassy has regretted the decision. «UK seems to intend to reaffirm its status as a NATO leader in terms of arming Kiev and escalating the conflict,» it has protested.
«Those Britons who are tired of war and harbor a desire for peace are in for a disappointment today: you cannot put out a fire with gasoline,» Russia warns.
«The presence of tanks in the conflict zone,» it adds, «will only serve to intensify combat operations, which will generate more casualties, including among the civilian population.» The embassy believes that, this situation, «ironically, is entirely in line with London’s objectives of prolonging the conflict.»
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
