(LibertySociety.com) – Ukraine has won support from the Baltic nations and Poland while trying to get its hands on fighter jets from the West, but the United States and Britain are still refusing to oblige, according to AP News. The Baltic nations and Poland have been the had heavily advocated for helping Ukraine as they feel particularly threatened by Russia. The Ukrainian Defense Minister, Oleksii Reznikov, spoke to the French Defense Minister, Sebastien Lecornu, who confirmed that France may send fighter jets if certain conditions are met.
The UK government, which has been one of Kyiv’s strongest supporters and military suppliers, stated that it is “not practical” to offer these jets, The Guardian reported. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden, responded “No” when asked if he was weighing the possibility of supplying F-16 fighter jets.
Reznikov responded to Biden’s “no” by saying that every kind of assistance initially went through the “no” stage but it only meant “no” for that given moment and that there are still several stages that need to be gone through before the transfer of equipment can take place. It reportedly took some time before Ukraine received High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, Bradley armored vehicles, and 155mm artillery.
Kyiv has hoped to obtain Western jets with the goal of measuring up to Russia’s air capabilities. However, in addition to refusing to provide jets, the the West has expressed an unwillingness to send long-range missiles out of concern that it could cause a bigger escalation.
Although some Western leaders have been worried about the potential consequences of sending missiles, Western allies have agreed to send tanks to Ukraine after months of haggling. According to AP, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was resistant to provide fighter jets, saying there could be “domestic political motives” involved in some places. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte indicated that there are “no taboos” when it comes to aiding Ukraine, but pointed out that jets would represent a massive step.
While Ukraine has won support from the Baltic nations and Poland, the United States and Britain are still not willing to provide warplanes. Kyiv remains optimistic and will continue its efforts to lobby for support from its allies.
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