Western countries will send more than 300 tanks to Ukraine, according to Kyiv’s ambassador to France on Friday.
“As of today, numerous countries have officially confirmed their agreement to deliver 321 heavy tanks to Ukraine,” Vadym Omelchenko told BFM television, a French TV station affiliated with CNN.
He did not say which countries would supply the tanks or give a breakdown of which models would be used.
The figure from Omelchenko comes after the US pledged 31 M1 Abrams tanks this week and Germany agreed to send 14 Leopard 2 A6s. Previously, the UK pledged 14 Challenger 2 tanks, while Poland requested permission from Germany to transfer some of its own German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
North Korea accused the US and its allies of “further crossing the red line” by sending tanks to Ukraine during Omelchenko’s interview.
The United States has a “sinister intention to realize its hegemonic goal by further expanding the proxy war for destroying Russia,” said Kim Yo Jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s sister, in a statement carried by North Korean media on Friday.
She accused the United States and other Western countries of “wrecking global peace and regional security while handing over astronomical sums of money to Ukraine in total disregard of Russia’s concern about security” – and vowed that North Koreans would “always stand in the same trench” as Russians.
It is unclear when the tanks will arrive in Ukraine. Omelchenko stated that delivery dates would differ depending on tank type and country of origin, and that the timing would be adjusted during the next round of consultations between Ukraine and Western countries.