U.S. officials risk further escalating tensions with Russia as they move closer to sending tanks to Ukraine, but it’s a risk worth taking, according to Johns Hopkins University political scientist Steven David, whose work focuses on security studies and American foreign policy.

“The Biden Administration’s discussions about sending Abrams tanks to Ukraine likely encouraged Germany to agree to send their Leopard tanks to Ukraine, which will dramatically enhance the ability of the Ukrainian forces to defend against Russian assaults and perhaps regain additional territory illegally occupied by Moscow,” said David.

David is a professor of international relations in Johns Hopkins Department of Political Science.