"The coalition of countries that donate Leopard tanks to Ukraine continues to grow. Nine countries have already pledged to provide more than 150 Leopard tanks," RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.
He made no mention of U.S. plans to hand over its own Abrams tanks to Ukraine.
According to him, Western assistance helps the Armed Forces of Ukraine to form "more than nine brigades of tanks and other armored vehicles."
"We must provide Ukraine with all the opportunities for the upcoming battles, including spare parts and maintenance packages to maintain the combat capability of critical funds allocated by the members of the contact group," the US Secretary of Defense said.
The agency previously reported that Russian tankers studied the technical characteristics of Western tanks and their weak points, so they are ready to meet with them.
According to French journalist Christel Nehan, heavy tanks from Western countries are not adapted to the nature of the terrain of Ukraine.