The UK has pledged to supply more than a dozen main battle tanks to Ukraine as it continues to fight invading Russian forces.
Moscow has reacted with anger, saying any units the UK plans to send are “burning” and will do nothing to change the outcome of its nearly year-long war.
The British announcement is likely to increase pressure on Germany to allow German-made tanks to be exported to Ukraine as several European countries await Berlin’s approval.
Here’s what you need to know:
Why is Ukraine calling for tanks?
The Ukrainian government has repeatedly asked for additional weapons – including main battle tanks – from its western allies to step up efforts to drive Russian forces out of the country.
So far, Ukraine has mostly relied on Soviet-era T-72 tank variants.
Main battle tanks designed by NATO countries – like those produced by Britain and Germany – would offer Kiev’s armed forces better protection and more accurate firepower.
However, they would not increase combat capability immediately, as Ukrainian forces would need to be trained to use tanks from Western allies – a process that is likely to take at least several weeks, if not longer.
Which countries promised tanks?
The UK confirmed on Monday that it will send 14 of its Challenger 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine in the coming weeks, along with other advanced artillery support.
Among Kiev’s other allies, Poland has said it is keen to send German-made Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine as part of an international coalition, but needs Berlin’s approval to do so, under rules governing the re-export of German military equipment to do.
Finland has also raised the possibility of supplying Ukraine with Leopard tanks, but said that would depend on Germany’s leadership.
Latvia, meanwhile, called on Kiev’s allies to give him “all necessary support”.
“Ukraine should have everything [the] necessary weapons… to resist this offensive. Therefore, all tanks should be handed over to Ukraine if possible,” Latvian President Egils Levits told Al Jazeera on Monday.
Are there divisions in the West’s response?
Germany has so far refused to supply Ukraine with main battle tanks, saying such units should only be made available to Kyiv if there is an agreement between its key allies, particularly the United States.
The re-export of Leopards requires the approval of the federal government, other countries with such tanks could not send them to Ukraine without them.
The US operates thousands of M1 Abrams tanks built by General Dynamics, but they are considered unsuitable for Ukraine as they are powered by gas turbine engines.
Another key Ukrainian ally, France, has not commented on whether it would be willing to provide Ukraine with one of its own Leclerc tanks.
Earlier this month, the US said it would send dozens of Bradley armored fighting vehicles to Ukraine, as Germany and France have also pledged to send armored vehicles.
A resolution regarding the Leopard 2 tanks could be reached on Friday when Ukraine’s allies in Germany are due to hold talks on increased military support for Ukraine.
The Ramstein meeting comes amid mounting pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to allow the export of Leopard 2 tanks.
Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, whose Ministry of Economic Affairs is responsible for approving arms exports, said on Thursday that Berlin should not stand in the way of states that have such units and want to deliver them to Kyiv.
How did Russia react?
The Kremlin has said the tanks the UK wants to send to Ukraine “will burn”.
“She [the UK] are using this country as a tool to achieve their anti-Russian goals,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday when asked about the move.
“These tanks… will burn just like the others,” he said, adding that the new supplies would not change the situation on the ground in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, a pro-Kremlin host on state TV channel Rossiya 1 said Britain had “de facto entered the war” with its move to supply the units.
“I now think Britain is a legitimate target for us,” Vladimir Soloviev said.
Will tanks make a difference in war?
With Russian troops strengthening their positions in the occupied parts of eastern and southern Ukraine and possibly preparing for a new offensive in the coming months, main battle tanks would offer Ukraine a means of better defense and a possible battlefield breakthrough .
Experts at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a British think tank, said last week that about 100 tanks would be needed to have “a significant impact on the fighting”.
“This would replenish Kiev’s armored fleet, which has suffered from attrition, and expand its capabilities,” the IISS said.
“While politically notable, providing a small number would actually only be a symbolic gesture,” she added.