In Reversal, US and Germany Reportedly Move to Send Tanks to Ukraine

Facing both domestic and international pressure, officials in the U.S. and Germany are moving to send M1 Abrams and Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, multiple outlets reported. Germany will also allow other countries to send their German-made tanks to Ukraine. 

For Context: Both countries had previously been reluctant to send the highly-requested tanks. While the Pentagon cited maintenance costs as a factor in withholding its tanks, German officials had debated the issue for weeks. However, Germany encouraged its partners on Tuesday to start training Ukrainian troops on using Leopard 2 tanks. A Ukrainian official told ABC News (Lean Left bias) that they expected about 100 Leopard 2 tanks from countries who had pledged them. 

How the News Broke: The news of Germany’s reversal was broken by German outlet Der Spiegel (Not Rated), according to BBC News (Center bias), and was backed up by a tweet from a member of Germany’s governing coalition. Meanwhile, a CNN (Left bias) report citing anonymous officials said the Biden administration was “finalizing plans” for sending U.S. tanks. 

How the Media Covered It: Coverage was common and mostly nonpartisan across the spectrum. Fox News (Right bias), like some other right-rated outlets, highlighted remarks from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).