Morocco, on the recommendation of the United States, will deliver spare parts of T-72 tanks to Ukraine. The kingdom is increasingly taking a stand in the conflict between kyiv and Moscow.
Last April, the United States was looking for T-72 tanks to deliver to Ukrainian forces in the war between kyiv and Moscow. These tanks have become a rare commodity in the West… The New York Times indicated, on April 1, that Washington was negotiating with its NATO allies to supply T-72s to Ukraine after the request made by President Volodymyr Zelinski, who sought in particular to solidify his defense in the Donbass. A few days later, we learned that Poland was in the process of delivering 200 T-72 tanks to kyiv.
In addition to tanks, Paris had also entered the dance to deliver Caesar guns and Milan anti-tank missiles to Ukraine. An indirect operation, levied on orders from other countries. The Caesars, for example, were taken from an order placed by Morocco before being sent to Ukraine at the end of last April.
An operation that Washington seems to take as a model. According to Africa Intelligence, American diplomacy is indeed extending its arms operations from Ukraine to Africa. "In the greatest secrecy, she managed to convince Rabat to deliver spare parts for T-72 armored vehicles to kyiv", specifies the French newspaper.
From neutrality to taking a stand
The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces have several dozen tanks of the T-72B/BK type, acquired between 1999 and 2001 from Belarus. In July 2015, the Ukrainian public company Ukroboronservice asked Morocco for spare parts for its T-72 tanks. kyiv is therefore used to working with Rabat on this subject.
But the American request made to Morocco places, in fact, Morocco on the side of Ukraine. During the vote at the UN General Assembly last March on the resolution "condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine", Morocco had abstained from voting, preferring to be absent than to take a position. In March and April, the kingdom had done the same to avoid positioning itself against Russia.
After a statement to recall that Morocco advocates "respect for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and national unity of all United Nations member states", the kingdom took part in a meeting with 40 allies of the United States, all NATO members and several guest countries, in Germany to discuss increased military aid to Zelensky's government.
An alignment with the American position, therefore, the culmination of which is this agreement on the delivery of spare parts for T-72 tanks to Ukraine.