President Zelensky thanks Rishi Sunak for the Challenger 2 squadron to assist in the spring offensive

After speaking to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on a call on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sent his thanks to the UK after confirming it will provide Kyiv with Challenger 2 tanks.

Zelensky tweeted: ‘The always strong UK support is now impenetrable and ready for challenges. In a conversation with the Prime Minister, I welcomed the decisions that will not only strengthen us on the battlefield, but also send the right signal to other partners.’

Following the call, a spokesman for Number 10 said: “The leaders reflected on the current state of Russia’s war in Ukraine, with successive Ukrainian victories driving back Russian troops and aggravating their military and moral problems.”

“They agreed on the need to seize this moment with an acceleration of global military and diplomatic support for Ukraine.”

The spokesman added: “The Prime Minister outlined the UK’s ambition to step up our support for Ukraine, including through the provision of Challenger 2 tanks and additional artillery systems.

“The Prime Minister and President Zelensky welcomed further international commitments in this regard, including Poland’s offer to provide a Leopard tank company.

“The Prime Minister stressed that he and the entire UK government will work intensively with international partners to rapidly provide the kind of support that will allow Ukraine to push its advantage, win this war and secure a lasting peace.”

It is the first time in the war that Britain has supplied military tanks to Ukraine and will increase Western support significantly.

The extra tanks could help Ukraine retake territory from Russia and the support comes amid hopes that Zelensky will be in a position to launch a decisive counter-offensive in early spring.

The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said on Saturday that the UK has committed £2.3bn in military aid to Ukraine.

The Defense Ministry said: “Our commitment to Ukraine remains steadfast and we will match or exceed last year’s military support by 2023. The military aid we have donated will help Ukraine defend against air strikes, fight on land, defend its coastlines and be equipped for winter.’

Zelensky said in a speech to Lithuania’s parliament on Friday that his country required “urgent decisions from our entire anti-war coalition,” including the supply of tanks.

The transfer of the tank squad may also be an important step in persuading Germany to send its much-sought-after Leopard II tanks.

Europe has more than 2,000 Leopard II tanks, held by armies in 13 countries, but Berlin’s consent is needed before any of the German-made kits can be re-exported to Ukraine.

A total of 12 of Britain’s Challenger 2 tanks will be provided to Ukraine as part of the additional support, according to reports. Four will initially be deployed to the war-torn country before another eight are dispatched at a later date.

Challenger 2 tanks are a source of pride for the British Army and have been in service for almost 25 years. Each weighs 62.5 tons and comes equipped with a 120mm rifled barrel and a 7.62mm chain gun.

Ukraine’s military has previously said it needs around 300 tanks from allied countries to continue its war efforts to liberate the country.

The former commander of the 1st Royal Tank Regiment, Colonel Hamish de Bretton Gordon, previously said the use of Western tanks could “tip the scales” of the war for Ukraine.

He said: “Strategically, this sends a very strong message to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin that nothing is off the table.

‘Challenger 2 and Leopard II are modern tanks. They are much better protected, more reliable and faster.

Earlier this week, Russia insisted that the supply of Western tanks would only “deepen the suffering of the Ukrainian people” and not change the course of the conflict. At present, Russia relies on tanks dating back to the Cold War.

But at the top of Ukraine’s shopping list are Leopard II main battle tanks, which Germany has yet to supply.

On Friday, French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the vehicles would be delivered to Ukraine “within two months.”

Other European nations that use the Leopard II tanks, including Poland and Finland, have said they are ready to supply them, but this requires approval from Germany, which holds the export license.

The Challenger 2 and Leopard II tanks were specifically designed to take on the exact same kit Ukraine is up against.

A squadron of British Challenger 2 tanks have been on tour in Estonia this week as part of a NATO mission to offset any further Russian interference in Eastern Europe. The tanks previously served with distinction in the Bosnian conflict in 1994 and the Iraq War in 2003.

Last year, the UK signed more than 14 Challenger 2 tanks for Poland as part of a deal to help Ukraine, freeing up capacity for Poland to send its Soviet-era T-72 tanks to Ukraine.

Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Wednesday during a visit to Lviv, a city in western Ukraine, that a company of Leopard tanks “will be handed over as part of coalition building.” He also noted that he wanted such a move to be part of a broader set of announcements, adding: “We want it to be an international coalition.”

Robert Habeck, Germany’s finance minister, said on Monday the nation had no plans to send its Leopard II tanks to Ukraine, but that “it cannot be ruled out” in the future.

Last week, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said Britain was ready to send tanks to Ukraine and would “continue to develop our support” as Kyiv prepares “the next phase of its self-defense”.

Labor said they would support any decision to hand over Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, noting that such a move would help reassure Ukraine.

However, John Healey, the shadow defense secretary, said: “Ministers must move beyond ad hoc announcements and set out a plan for military, economic and diplomatic support to 2023 and beyond.”