Ukraine won the support of Baltic nations and Poland on Tuesday in its quest to obtain Western fighter jets, but there was no sign that larger nations such as the United States and Britain have reversed their stance on refusing to provide warplanes to Kyiv. after almost a year of fighting the Russian invasion. cash.
“Ukraine needs fighter planes… missiles, tanks. We need to act,” Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said in the Latvian capital Riga at a news conference with his Baltic and Polish colleagues. Those countries, which lie on NATO’s eastern flank, feel particularly threatened by Russia and have been leading advocates of military aid delivery.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov held talks with his French counterpart and said they did not discuss specific fighter jets, but did discuss aviation “platforms” to help Ukraine’s ground-to-air defense.
“I don’t know how fast this response from the Western allies will be” to Kyiv’s requests for fighter jets, Reznikov said. “I am optimistic and I think it will be as soon as possible.”
He also listed the weapons Ukraine has sought in the past year, starting with Stingers, saying the first answer was always “Impossible.” However, he said that it finally “became possible.”
French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, speaking to Reznikov, said there were “no taboos” on sending fighter jets. He also confirmed that France will send 12 more Caesar guns in the coming weeks.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that France does not rule out sending fighter jets but set conditions before such a step is taken, including not leading to an escalation of tensions or using the plane “to touch Russian soil.” “, and not result in weakening. “the capacities of the French army”.
Reznikov’s trip came a week after Western nations pledged to send sophisticated modern tanks to Kyiv.
Several Western leaders have expressed concern that providing fighter jets could escalate and deepen the conflict.
The UK government, one of Kyiv’s staunchest supporters and military suppliers, said sending its fighter jets “is not practical.” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesman, Max Blain, said on Tuesday that “the UK’s Typhoon and F-35 fighter jets are extremely sophisticated and take months to learn to fly”, although he did not say London was opposed to other nations will send planes.
Asked Monday if his administration was considering sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, US President Joe Biden replied: “No.”
On Tuesday, Reznikov was asked if Biden’s “no” to F-16s was the last word.
“All types of aid went through the ‘no’ stage first,” he said. “Which only means ‘no’ at the given moment today. The second stage is, ‘Let’s talk and study the technical possibilities.’ The third stage is, ‘Let’s train your staff.’ And the fourth stage is the transfer (of teams).”
Reznikov said Ukraine went through those stages before getting High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, Bradley armored vehicles and 155mm artillery.
“Remember the story of the German leopards: the answer was also ‘no,'” he added. “And now we have a coalition of tanks. Therefore, I believe that a coalition of planes is within reach. But first there must always be a leader. And that’s why I am here”.
Kyiv has repeatedly urged allies to send planes, calling them essential to challenge Russia’s air superiority and ensure the success of future counteroffensives led by Western tanks.
The West also ruled out providing Kyiv with long-range missiles capable of reaching Russian territory, citing possible escalation.
After months of haggling, the Western allies agreed last week to send the tanks, despite hesitancy and caution from some NATO members.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz appeared to refuse to provide fighter jets, suggesting on Sunday that the reason for the discussion might be “internal political reasons” in some countries.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Monday there were “no taboos” in efforts to help Ukraine, but added that jet planes “would be a very big next step.”
When asked on Tuesday about Western arms supplies to Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov repeated the Kremlin’s view that “NATO has long been directly involved in a hybrid war against Russia.” .
Following talks in Moscow with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, he said that the Russian military “will take all necessary measures to derail the fulfillment of Western plans.”
He said Shoukry conveyed a message from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Ukraine, which repeated Washington’s calls for Russia to withdraw. Lavrov said that “Russia is ready to listen to any serious proposal, I want to underline this word, aimed at a comprehensive solution of the current situation.”
Both Ukraine and Russia are believed to be building up their arsenals for an expected offensive in the coming months after the war stalled on the battlefield over winter.
When asked about Lithuania’s order for fighter jets and long-range missiles for Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the comments “reflected an aggressive approach taken by the Baltic nations and Poland, which are ready to do everything possible to cause further escalation without thinking about the consequences. ”
Meanwhile, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic has criticized Western nations for supplying Ukraine with tanks and other weapons, arguing that such deliveries will only prolong the war.
Early in the conflict, discussions centered on the possibility of providing Kyiv with Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets with which Ukrainian pilots are familiar. In March, the Pentagon rejected Poland’s proposal to transfer its MiG-29s to Kyiv via a US base in Germany, citing the risk of triggering an escalation between Russia and NATO.
Ukraine inherited a significant fleet of Soviet-made combat aircraft, including Su-27 and MiG-29 fighter jets and Su-25 ground-attack aircraft. Switching to Western aircraft would require the Ukrainian crews to undergo lengthy training and would pose logistical challenges over maintenance and repair.
Russia methodically targeted Ukrainian air bases and air defense batteries in the early stage of the war, but Ukraine has relocated its fighter jets and hidden air defense assets, leaving Moscow unable to gain control. heavens whole.
After suffering heavy early losses, the Russian air force has avoided venturing deep into Ukrainian airspace and has focused primarily on close support missions along the front line.
