On Jan. 29, Poland’s Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, urged other small nations to help aid Ukraine in the war that started in February 2022. Ukraine requested aid from these countries and urged them to send their tanks to Poland in hopes of pushing back the Russian army.
“I think Ukraine should be asking larger and established nations for help because we know that Russia is willing to bomb and invade,” said Sebastian Tobias, freshman international business major.
Germany’s reluctance
At first, Germany was reluctant to aid Poland with tanks but they have since sent 14 Leopard two tanks and will most certainly help in upgrading the Ukrainian military.
“The German Leopard is an excellent tank. The Germans have always made a good tank,” said Dr. James Hedkte, Cabrini University history and political science professor. German tanks are known for being very well-built and very reliable to their users.
The United States will aid Ukraine and send 31 Abrams tanks. In certain circumstances, the Abrams tank may be superior to Germany’s tank. One issue with the Abrams tanks is that Ukrainian forces will have to provide the training necessary to operate them.
The Abrams is also a high-maintenance tank, which means they will need specific parts and tank crews trained for repair and operation needs. This tank is heavier and far superior to anything the Russians have, which will give Ukraine a chance to prevent any more Russian incursions. Some advantages that the Abram tank has over other tanks are that it has thick amor, a 120mm main gun, armor piercing capabilities, advanced targeting systems, and wide tracked wheels that are powered by a 1,500-horsepower turbine engine. The top speed of the Abram tank can reach up to 42 miles per hour. The Leopard 2 tank has a similar speed but, in some circumstances, will not be as effective as the Abram.
Since the war started, there has been an extreme number of causalities as a result of multiple Russian airstrikes and the crossfire of the war in general. In recent attacks, missiles have targeted Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Lviv according to officials.
The Russians have been the aggressor in this year-long war which has posed a threat to democracy across the world. Ukrainian forces have stepped up and surprised most; when the war first originated, there were very few people across the globe who thought they would be able to put up a fight like they are now. Ukrainian forces have been able to regain a lot of the territory that Russian forces previously took over. One example of this is the recent recapture of the city of Kherson.
The side effects of war
As of early October, 15,246 civilians have been killed or severely injured as a result of Russian attacks, and so far, there have been 200,000 military casualties on all sides. Russian forces, led by Russian President Vladimir Putin, show no signs of giving up their pursuit of Ukrainian territory.
With success in their efforts to get other nations to send them tanks, Ukraine is now asking for warplanes. If they are able to get fighter jets and take over the war in the air, this could be the deciding factor of how they can drive Russian forces further and ultimately even out of their country.
