US allows Australia to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine despite private objections, media reports
Australian authorities have begun loading the first of the 49 decommissioned Ukraine-bound Abrams tanks onto a cargo ship despite continued private objections from U.S. officials, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on May 19.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the upcoming delivery of the tanks when meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky in Rome on May 18. The exact date of their arrival is withheld for security reasons, ABC reported.
The Australian broadcaster reported back in April that the shipments of the retired tanks, which are meant to bolster Ukrainian forces as they resist Russian aggression, are delayed in part due to resistance from Washington.
These objections have not fully subsided, with at least one U.S. official questioning their usefulness on the Ukrainian battlefields, according to ABC. An undisclosed Australian defense official told the broadcaster that Canberra is uncertain whether Kyiv is even interested in the vehicles, as their weak roof makes them vulnerable to drones.
U.S. officials have also reportedly pointed to difficulties with their maintenance in the demanding conditions of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Despite the private protests, Washington eventually gave permission for Australia to begin shipping out the U.S.-made tanks to Ukraine, ABC reported.
Australia pledged to send Kyiv the 49 M1A1 Abrams tanks as part of a broader military aid package in October 2024. Ukraine previously received 31 Abrams tanks from the Biden administration in late 2023, though it is unclear how many are still operational as of 2025.
Unlike his predecessor, Joe Biden, U.S. President Donald Trump has been reluctant to allocate additional military aid to Kyiv, aiming instead to broker a peace deal with Russia.
The effectiveness of Abrams tanks on the battlefield in Ukraine has been previously called into question by Western officials. The Associated Press (AP) reported in April 2024 that Ukrainian forces were pulling the tanks from the front lines due to the high risk of detection by Russian drones. The Ukrainian military denied the claim.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
