According to the Washington Post, Ukraine is insisting on its Western allies’ demand for combat aircraft that can create a new reality on the battlefield.
The Western countries, headed by the United States, had hesitated for months before accepting to send tanks to Ukraine, amid constant warnings from Moscow, which warns that “perseverance” in support increases the risk of a direct “collision” with NATO.
Fighter aircraft are being debated, while fighting is raging in Bakhmut, while Russian forces are seeking to encircle the city in eastern Ukraine.
An explicit “no”.
When asked about whether the United States would send F-16 fighters to Ukraine, US President Joe Biden answered bluntly, “No.”
When Biden was asked about the possibility of talking to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on Tuesday, while he continues to demand combat aircraft, the US president responded briefly by saying: “We will talk.”
However, despite this American reluctance, it seems that France and Poland do not exclude this step from the list of possible options, in the future, despite the consequences of provoking Moscow’s wrath.
And when French President Emmanuel Macron was asked about the possibility of sending fighter jets to Ukraine, he hinted that he did not rule out the move, according to the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, the director of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andrei Yermak, spoke on the “Telegram” platform that there are positive signals from Poland, in order to continue work to obtain “F-16” aircraft.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba went so far as to describe the acquisition of F-16 fighters as a priority in the midst of the current war.
Why does Washington refuse?
- The United States provides carefully studied military support to Ukraine, saying that it gives what helps Kyiv to defend, without supplying what can be used offensively to target Russian lands.
- Reducing the risk of a direct military clash between Moscow and NATO, after the tension between the two parties increased dramatically.
- US defense officials believe that providing F-16 fighters may not be effective, because these aircraft need extensive training of their own, which may be difficult to do in a short period of time.
- Russia has strong anti-aircraft defenses, which could allow it to shoot down F-16 fighters easily.
pressure strategy
- CNN reported that there is an impression in Kyiv today that the pressure is bearing fruit, and the evidence is that Ukraine is obtaining, or will soon receive, equipment and weapons that were categorically rejected until recently.
- This means that the Western countries soften with the passage of time, and do not cling to rejection, especially as the battle is getting fiercer, and the Ukrainian army says that it needs more elements of force and weapons in order to confront the Russian army.
- When Zelensky visited Washington and gave an enthusiastic speech in Congress and thanked the United States, in a speech in the presence of members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, he stressed that Western support “is not good and virtue”, but rather an investment in order to confront Russia, indicating that Kyiv is fighting the battle on behalf of its allies. .
- For his part, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleisi Reznikov said in a press statement, “What is impossible today, will inevitably be possible tomorrow.”
- In the same vein, an official in the Ukrainian army said: “It will come sooner or later,” when talking about Western fighters.
- CNN quoted a Ukrainian army official as saying, “A year ago, everyone was refusing to provide the Himars missile launcher, while no one imagined getting the M1 Abrams tanks.”
- Last December, the Ukrainian pressure also succeeded, and the United States agreed to send Patriot air defense batteries, after months of refusal, while Washington was saying that sending and operating this military system involved great difficulty.
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