A new stage in the war America will supply Ukraine with Soviet-quality weapons

The Trump administration will work with allies to move Soviet-made tanks to bolster Ukrainian defenses in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine. The New York Times reported that the Russian-Ukrainian war had reached a new stage following this move.

A US official said Friday that the administration of President Joe Biden will work with allies to move Soviet-made tanks to reinforce Ukrainian defenses in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine, while the American newspaper "New York Times" reported that the Russian-Ukrainian war has reached a new stage following this step.

The newspaper said in a report, quoting the official, who preferred not to be named, that "the decision to act as a mediator to help transport Soviet-made tanks, which Ukrainian forces know how to use, comes in response to a request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky," noting that "this is the first time In a war in which the United States is helping to transport tanks."

The official said the transfers would begin soon and that they would allow Ukraine to launch long-range artillery strikes on Russian targets in the Donbass.

According to the newspaper, the arrival of tanks may be another sign of a new stage in the war, after 5 weeks of Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and installations from the air, accompanied by ground progress stalled on the ground.

Earlier this week, Russian officials indicated they were refocusing their efforts on eastern Ukraine, where Russian-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian soldiers since 2014.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on NATO countries to provide tanks and aircraft, in addition to anti-tank weapons and aircraft, which have become an essential element in the battles, and expressed his frustration at what he considered inaction in arms transfers after his meeting with US President Joe Biden in Poland last month.

The newspaper noted that in the past, the Biden administration made an effort to label the weapons it provides to Ukraine as defensive, and focused on smaller, easier-to-carry weapons, but as the war progressed, the definition of defense became more flexible.

Ukraine had found only one source of tanks, the ones that it captured from the battlefield, as it seized 161 Russian tanks, in exchange for Russia seizing 43 Ukrainian tanks.

In the context of US support for Ukraine, the US Department of Defense announced that it would provide $300 million in security assistance to Kiev, including suicide planes, sighting equipment and anti-aircraft systems, while the German government stated that it would approve the decision to sell 58 old German-made tanks, owned by a Czech company, to Ukraine.

On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine, which was followed by angry international reactions and the imposition of "tight" economic and financial sanctions on Moscow.