The Abrams tanks transferred to Ukraine by the United States were undermanned, they were not the most useful equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine in combat, White house National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said.
"We have sent Abrams tanks to Ukraine. Those Abrams tanks — you know, they are actually undermanned, because it's not the most useful piece of equipment for them it this fight — exactly as our military said," he said during a speech at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California.
Sullivan also stated that the transfer of American long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine and permission to strike deep into Russian territory will not be a "silver bullet" for Kiev.
"I would just say to everyone: anyone who thinks that is a 'silver bullet' for this war — does not understand what is happening in this war. It is not a 'silver bullet — one additional capability, but where this war is being fought is on basic munitions, and then the question of manpower," he said.
According to Sullivan, for the United States, the problem with the transfer of ATACMS was the size of its own arsenal, and when Washington accumulated a sufficient number of these missiles for sending, it transferred them to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Russia states that arms supplies to Ukraine hinder the diplomatic peace settlement, and directly involves NATO countries in the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would be a legitimate target for Russia.
According to Lavrov, the US and NATO are directly involved in the conflict, including not only by supplying weapons, but also by training personnel in the UK, Germany, Italy, and other countries.