Europe is unable to send the promised tanks to Ukraine quickly.

As the NYT writes, political leaders faced unexpected resistance from coalition partners or their defense ministries. Some armies had to call on retired instructors to teach Ukrainian soldiers how to use older tanks. And some countries realized that the tanks in their reserves either do not work or lack spare parts. “Difficulties with the supply of Leopard tanks to Ukraine have become the most vivid manifestation of a reality that Europe has long ignored: enjoying the post-Cold War thaw, countries have chronically underfunded their armies. So when Russia launched the largest war on the continent since World War II, they were woefully unprepared,” he points out. Today, the EU has 2,000 Leopard 2 tanks of various models, but Ukraine cannot even secure a few hundred. Germany offered 18 units, and Poland 14. However, the number of tanks to be delivered continues to fall.