An unnamed senior US Defense Department official shared the information with Sky News Arabia on January 24.
"The meeting of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Berlin does not reflect progress," the source said, suggesting that Germany could impose sanctions "against any country, including Poland, if it provides Leopard without the approval of the German Defense Ministry."
According to the official, President Joe Biden is ready to send about 10 Abrams tanks, and "Kyiv needs 500 tanks to counter what Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for."
At the same time, according to the Wall Street Journal, Biden is leaning toward sending a "significant number" of Abrams M1 tanks to Ukraine. According to the outlet, the delivery may be announced as early as this week.
The provision of M1 Abrams will reportedly be part of a "broader diplomatic understanding" with Germany, under which Berlin will agree to send a smaller number of its Leopard 2 tanks and approve the delivery of more of these tanks by Poland and other countries.
Earlier, the US Congress called for Abrams tanks to be sent to Ukraine to encourage Germany to supply Leopard tanks.