Britain Pledges just 14 Tanks, but with the Aim of Prompting more Transfers from Ukraine’s Allies

The U.K. defense secretary said specialty guns, ammunition, drones and other equipment were also part of the package being sent to Ukraine.

· Fourteen tanks are to be sent in coming weeks, and Britain is also planning to send around 30 large self-propelled guns known as AS90s, plus armored vehicles, drones, missiles and artillery rounds.

· Appealing to the government in Germany, which has been reluctant to commit weaponry that could be used for offensive military action, or to approve transfers of such German-made weapons from countries that have bought them.

· Poland is thought to be ready to offer German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine.

· Military experts see the Leopard 2 as critical to helping Ukraine but say that the scale of the assistance offered is crucial.

Britain’s defense secretary, Ben Wallace, on Monday confirmed plans to send Challenger 2 tanks and a package of other sophisticated military equipment to Ukraine, as part of wider efforts to persuade other Western nations to offer similar support.

Fourteen tanks are to be sent in coming weeks, and Britain is also planning to send around 30 large self-propelled guns known as AS90s, plus armored vehicles, drones, missiles and artillery rounds, Mr. Wallace said in a statement in Parliament.

It was hoped that Britain’s example “will allow those countries holding Leopard tanks to donate as well,” Mr. Wallace added, appealing to the government in Germany, which has been reluctant to commit weaponry that could be used for offensive military action, or to approve transfers of such German-made weapons from countries that have bought them.

Mr. Wallace’s comment underscored that one of the main objectives in Britain’s decision to transfer the relatively small number of tanks was to spur other European nations to deploy Leopard 2 tanks, which military analysts believe would be potentially more helpful to the government in Kyiv.

Poland is thought to be ready to offer German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine as part of an alliance of European countries, but this would require the agreement of the government in Berlin.

The British foreign secretary, James Cleverly, is scheduled to travel to the United States on Tuesday, and then to Canada, to coordinate measures to support Ukraine.

Mr. Wallace will visit Estonia this week, and then take part in talks with allies at the U.S. military base in Ramstein, Germany.

“There’s still a problem in that the mood music from Berlin is that they’re not willing to send until next year, which is way too late,” Mr. Seely added.

Military experts see the Leopard 2 as critical to helping Ukraine but say that the scale of the assistance offered is crucial.

“The Leopard 2 is arguably the most successful modern Western main battle tank design,” Bastian Giegerich, director of defense and military analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank, wrote in a report. By creating a pool of available tanks, he said, Western countries would be able both to replenish Ukraine’s fleet, which has suffered attrition in the conflict, and add to its capabilities.

“It is believed that for the Leopard 2 tanks to have any significant effect on the fighting, around 100 tanks would be required,” he wrote.