Volodymyr Zelensky’s optimism. In his latest video posted overnight on his social media, the Ukrainian president stresses that it is “necessary to put an end to Russian aggression this year” but also “not to delay any of these defense opportunities that can hasten the defeat of the Russian terrorist.” . Express.
“These opportunities” are a direct reference to Emmanuel Macron’s pledge on Wednesday to deliver AMX-10 RC light battle tanks to Ukraine, a first for Western-designed tanks. This decision was made after an hour-long phone call between the two leaders.
“France is taking European defense support to Ukraine to a new level, and I thank President Macron for this leadership,” the Ukrainian president wrote in a text accompanying this video.
“This sends a clear signal to all our other partners: there is no rational reason why Ukraine has not received Western-style tanks yet,” he adds.
Earlier in the day, the Ukrainian president had already thanked his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, on Twitter. “Thank you my friend!” he wrote.
Light and mobile tanks
Ukraine’s European allies have delivered Soviet-designed tanks before, but never Western-built tanks, despite repeated requests from Kyiv.
Germany, in particular, is reluctant to deliver Leopard-2 main battle tanks. Paris, for its part, currently has no intention of supplying Kyiv with its 56-ton Leclerc heavy tanks equipped with a gun with a range of 4,000 meters, of which the French army has 200 examples. But France has deployed 13 to Romania to reinforce NATO’s eastern border.
The AMX-10 RC, whose production began in the 1980s, are nearly 25-tonne light tanks with 105mm guns, mounted on wheels rather than tracks. Therefore, they are “very mobile”, “certainly old but efficient”, assures an adviser to the French presidency.
Source: BFM TV
