British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has hinted that the British Challenger 2 tanks will arrive in Ukraine as early as March 2023, and also announced the expansion of the training program for Ukrainian military personnel.
According to Evropeyskaya Pravda, he said this at a joint briefing with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky after a meeting with Ukrainian tank crews who are now mastering these vehicles.
“Ukrainian crews who arrived for the exercises last week will use Challenger 2 tanks to defend the sovereign territory of Ukraine as early as next month. And today we agreed to expand the training program, through which 10,000 Ukrainian military have already passed, to marines and fighter pilots” said Rishi Sunak.
He added that the UK is making efforts to ensure that the necessary Western weapons are in Ukraine in the coming weeks, and not in months or years.
“We must arm Ukraine in the short term, and also strengthen it in the long term. Ukraine must not be allowed to again be a vulnerable target for new aggression,” Rishi Sunak stressed.
Recall that on January 15, Britain confirmed plans to transfer to Ukraine a squadron of 14 Challenger 2 tanks and about 30 self-propelled guns of 155 mm AS90 caliber.
At the end of January, Ukrainian tank crews arrived in the UK for training on Challenger 2 tanks.
Earlier, British Deputy Secretary of Defense Alex Chalk expressed hope that the Challenger 2 tanks would arrive in Ukraine at the end of March.
source: eurointegration
