The move follows weeks of internal discussions on the subject between the White House and the Pentagon, the WSJ reported on Tuesday.
In January, the United States agreed to provide Ukraine with 31 Abrams main battle tanks to bolster Kyiv’s war effort against Russian aggression, the newspaper noted.
The Pentagon has pushed for the Ukraine-bound Abrams to be equipped with depleted-uranium ammunition, which is used regularly by the US Army, according to the Wall Street Journal.
However, some White House officials have expressed concern it could make Washington vulnerable to criticism for sending shells that may pose health and environmental risks, the WSJ said.
In March, Britain provided Ukraine with its Challenger tanks, along with depleted-uranium munitions, according to Poland's PAP news agency.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the time that the UK’s move “escalates the nuclear threat,” the Polish news agency reported.
America’s National Security Spokesman John Kirby retorted that uranium-based anti-tank shells were “a commonplace type of munition” that “is not radioactive” and “not anywhere close” to nuclear weaponry, news outlets reported.
Kirby declared: "We're not providing depleted uranium" to Ukraine, the PAP news agency reported.
The internal debate among US officials about how to equip the 31 Abrams tanks for Ukraine comes amid Kyiv’s ongoing counteroffensive to reclaim territory from Russia, the WSJ reported.
According to senior officials in President Joe Biden’s administration, the United States is seeking to help Ukraine maximise its frontline advances so that Kyiv could enter potential peace negotiations with Russia from a position of strength, the WSJ wrote.
Ukraine retains strong support in the US Congress, but some politicians have claimed this backing could be undermined if Kyiv’s counteroffensive failed to bring results, according to the WSJ.
US to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions?
Meanwhile, the White House is also considering whether to provide Ukraine with other weaponry, including cluster munitions requested by Kyiv, according to the US newspaper.
NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Gen. Christopher Cavoli, told Congress that cluster munitions could be a “very effective” weapon against Russian concentrations of manpower and equipment, the PAP news agency reported.
So far, this option has faced opposition from officials at America’s National Security Council and the State Department, the WSJ reported.
Ukraine has also requested the delivery of the long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), and Biden said in May the option “is still in play,” according to the PAP news agency.
However, US officials have reportedly said that this will not happen anytime soon.
Meanwhile, the uranium-based armour-piercing tank rounds are now expected to be provided to Ukraine, the WSJ reported.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
Wednesday is day 476 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, The Wall Street Journal, The Kyiv Independent, barrons.com