Sky News: UK is considering supplying Ukraine with tanks

The British government is considering supplying Ukraine with Challenger 2 main battle tanks, Sky News reports.

According to Sky News, the discussion on the delivery of the British-made Challenger 2 battle tanks has been taking place for a “couple of weeks.” Britain might offer around 10 Challenger 2 tanks which will be “enough to equip a squadron,” Sky News writes, citing a source.

The provision of such tanks will not change the course of war significantly, but it would break the barrier and encourage other nations, in particular Germany, to follow suit, Sky News said.

On Jan. 20, the Contact Group consisting of 50 nations, including the U.S. and the U.K., is due to have a meeting regarding the delivery of additional military support to Ukraine. The announcement may coincide with the gathering.

Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to supply Ukraine with light tanks. This will be the first time a European country provided Ukraine with a Western-made fighting vehicle, the AMX-10 RC, and the Bastion armored personnel carrier.

A day later, Germany said it will provide Ukraine with 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, according to Nils Schmid, a foreign policy spokesman for the Social Democratic Party.

"We are far from tired of supporting Ukraine," he said.

On the same day, the U.S. announced that it would provide its own Bradley-type IFVs to Ukraine.

Of all combat vehicle types that Ukraine needs, IFVs are near the top, experts told the Kyiv Independent in September.