US representatives ‘frustrated’ due to Australian tank export to Ukraine

(MENAFN) Australia has begun sending 49 decommissioned M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine after securing approval from the United States. However, according to ABC News, the move has sparked private criticism from both American and Australian officials, who are skeptical about the tanks’ effectiveness on the battlefield.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Rome on Sunday that the shipment was underway. The tanks are currently being loaded onto a cargo ship, although the specifics of their departure remain classified.

While the U.S. formally authorized the transfer, some American officials reportedly expressed “frustration” over the decision. One unnamed source told ABC that Washington had warned Australia last year—before Donald Trump’s return to the presidency—that such a delivery would be logistically complex and potentially problematic for Ukrainian forces to operate and maintain.

Australian defense insiders have also raised concerns, suggesting that Ukraine may not even want the Abrams tanks. They highlighted the tank’s vulnerability in modern warfare, noting that its roof armor is particularly susceptible to drone attacks—a dominant feature of the current conflict.

In 2023, under President Joe Biden, the U.S. sent 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. However, media outlets have reported that the tanks have struggled in combat, facing losses due to drone strikes and difficult terrain. Each tank is estimated to cost around $10 million.

Russia claims to have destroyed multiple Abrams tanks and even displayed one captured vehicle at a military exhibition in Moscow in May 2024, alongside other Western-supplied equipment.

Moscow continues to denounce Western arms shipments to Ukraine, arguing that they prolong the war without changing its ultimate outcome.

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