The first British Challenger tanks have arrived in Ukraine, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov announced on Monday evening, March 27, 2023, new western military equipment to help Kiev repel the Russian invasion launched on February 24, 2022.
Mr. Reznikov said that “British Challengers, American Strykers and Cougars and German Marders” were “added to the Ukrainian units”.
A spokeswoman for the Ukrainian Ministry, Iryna Zolotar, confirmed that the Challenger tanks “Been to Ukraine”without giving the exact number at this point.
Ukrainian soldiers have completed their training in Britain to learn how to deal with the 14 Challenger 2 tanks that London has delivered to Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion, the British Defense Ministry announced on Monday.
Their training had started shortly after the announcement of the delivery of these tanks by the UK in early January. “The UK is sending the Challenger 2 tanks, which will soon be in the hands of the armed forces” Ukrainians, the British ministry said in a statement.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz, for his part, announced on Monday that Berlin had provided Leopard main battle tanks “very modern” in Kiev, and the Ministry of Defense later said that 18 tanks were delivered.
“Our tanks arrived in the hands of our Ukrainian friends as promised and on time”Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in a statement. “I’m sure they can make a difference on the pitch”.
The UK also announced in early February that it would train Ukrainian fighter pilots, which would eventually open the door to the delivery of NATO-standard aircraft.
Westerners see Ukraine as entitled to defend itself, but some are reluctant to supply weapons that would escalate the conflict by allowing Ukraine to attack Russia.
Slovakia recently delivered four MiG-29s to Ukraine, and Poland has promised to do the same.
The Security Council opposes an investigation into Nord Stream
The UN Security Council on Monday rejected a Russian resolution calling for the creation of a “independent international commission of inquiry” about the sabotage of the Nord Stream subsea gas pipelines last September.
The text, co-sponsored by China and non-council members (Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Syria), received 3 votes (Russia, China, Brazil) while the 12 other council members abstained.
It would have taken 9 positive votes without a permanent member’s veto to pass it.
The resolution called on the UN Secretary-General to set up this commission “to conduct a comprehensive, transparent and impartial international investigation into all aspects of the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, including the identification of perpetrators, sponsors, organizers and accomplices”.
Russia justified its request by saying that it had been excluded from investigations launched by Sweden, Germany and Denmark, the neighboring countries of the sabotage – which denied these allegations.
“We have serious and justified doubts about the objectivity and transparency of the national investigations of some European countries”stressed on Monday Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassili Nebenzia, also raising “suspicion” of actions carried out under the guise of investigations “Hide evidence and clean up the crime scene”.
“I believe that after today’s vote, suspicions about who is behind the Nord Stream sabotage are obvious”he added.
Many Council members opposed the idea of an international commission, pledged their confidence in the three countries leading the investigation and condemned an attempt by Russia to divert attention from the invasion of Ukraine.
This resolution was “an attempt to discredit national polls […] and to prejudice their future findings if they do not fit into Russia’s predetermined political narrative.Deputy US Ambassador Robert Wood said disapprovingly “categorically the baseless allegations of Russia” against the United States.
Nuclear Weapons and European Apathy, in the American Press
The American press widely emphasized on Monday, March 27, 2023 that Vladimir Putin’s announcement of the possible deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus prompted Volodymyr Zelenskyy to request an emergency Security Council meeting. NATO has condemned a “dangerous and irresponsible rhetoric”and the EU is considering new sanctions, the Wall Street Journal, Associated Press and Washington Post detail.
According to experts, the New York Times sees this as a bluff that will not change the Russian nuclear threat. Speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the United States would not see it “No signs that Putin intends to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine”.
However, the Washington Post adds that Europe “minimize” the threat and also signed a scathing editorial against one Europe “stun”accused it of outsourcing its defense to the United States, and “This despite his wealth, industrial power and sophistication”.
For its part, the Wall Street Journal is pessimistic about the future, as there is no Western and Ukrainian strategy and long-term consensus after the offensive expected in the spring. Finally, Semafor points to Westerners’ fear of losing the battle of public opinion on Ukraine against Russia and China.
The New York Times publishes a critical article about American volunteers in Ukraine, some of whom are plagued by power struggles “Damage to the War Effort”. It is said daily that some of those who would be banned from a US-led theater of war would have access to American weapons.