What Happened: In a joint statement on Jan. 5, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and U.S. President Joe Biden announced that both countries will send infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine, Reuters reported the same day. The decision to ramp up military support to Ukraine comes days after a similar announcement from French President Emmanuel Macron.

Why It Matters: Ukraine has been requesting additional military assistance from Western countries for months to repel Russia's invasion. Germany has resisted Ukraine's calls for tanks and infantry vehicles in an attempt to avoid an open conflict with Russia, stating that it will not take any actions without collective support from other NATO members. Germany and the United States' decision to send Marder and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, as well as Patriot air defense systems, opens the possibility for the delivery of further heavy weaponry to Ukraine.

Background: NATO countries like Germany and the United States have lagged behind in providing infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine, claiming that NATO members will not supply a number of modern weapons systems. For the duration of the war, Ukraine has received older, Soviet-era tanks and infantry fighting vehicles from mainly Eastern European countries, as well as U.S. High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS). On Dec. 15, the commander of Ukraine's armed forces, Valery Zaluzhny, stated that Ukraine will need 300 tanks, 600-700 infantry fighting vehicles and 500 howitzers to launch a new offensive against Russia. In recent months, Russia's shelling of Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure has forced Ukraine to request additional air defense systems.