Western allies differ over jets for Ukraine as Russia claims gains
The Hindu
Ukraine planned to push for Western fourth-generation fighters like F-16s after securing supplies of main battle tanks last week
Ukraine's Defence Minister is expected in Paris on Tuesday to meet President Emmanuel Macron amid a debate among Kyiv's allies over whether to provide fighter jets for its war against Russia, after U.S. President Joe Biden ruled out giving F-16s.
Ukraine planned to push for Western fourth-generation fighters like F-16s after securing supplies of main battle tanks last week, an adviser to Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Friday.
Asked at the White House on Monday if the United States would provide F-16s, Mr. Biden told reporters: "No."
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But France and Poland appear to be willing to entertain any such request from Ukraine, with Mr. Macron telling reporters in The Hague on Monday that "by definition, nothing is excluded" when it comes to military assistance.
In remarks carried on French television before Mr. Biden spoke in Washington, Mr. Macron stressed any such move would depend on several factors including the need to avoid escalation and assurances that the aircraft would not "touch Russian soil." He said Mr. Reznikov would also meet his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu in Paris on Tuesday.
In Poland Monday, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki also did not rule out a possible supply of F-16s to neighbouring Ukraine, in response to a question from a reporter before Biden spoke.