Trump does not give the green light: why the Abrams tanks for Ukraine are 'stuck' in Australia.

The administration of new US President Donald Trump complicates the delivery of weapons to Ukraine not only directly from the US but also from allies.

The German publication Bild reports that 49 M1A1 Abrams battle tanks, which Australia promised to transfer to Ukraine back in October last year, have still not been sent due to a lack of permission from Washington.

According to Australian broadcaster ABC, citing Bild, the American-made tanks worth 138 million euros are waiting for final export approval. Even though these tanks were delivered to Australia over 30 years ago, transferring them to a third party requires special US re-export authorization under the 'end-user clause'.

In March, Australian media reported problems with the transfer of tanks after Trump's team temporarily suspended military aid to Ukraine. Now, an Australian Department of Defence representative has officially confirmed in an interview: 'The formal authorization that the US must issue for the transfer of M1A1 tanks to another country has still not been provided.'

The reason for the delay, according to the Australian official, is related to political considerations: 'There are concerns that it would be very awkward if the tanks were en route across the ocean just when conditions for a possible peace settlement begin to form.'

Since Trump took office, the US has not approved any new arms supplies to Ukraine. Now there is a gradual fulfillment of obligations taken on by the Biden administration. What is new is that the blockage now extends to arms supplies from third countries.

According to Bloomberg, Putin demands complete control over 4 regions of Ukraine, which undermines Trump's efforts.