It’s only a matter of time before Western nations decide to send fighter jets to Ukraine, according to Poland’s Permanent Representative to NATO Tomasz Szatkowski.
(Bloomberg) — It’s only a matter of time before Western nations decide to send fighter jets to Ukraine, according to Poland’s Permanent Representative to NATO Tomasz Szatkowski.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is urging allies to commit to sending warplanes to prepare the country for a potential new invasion from Russia, a demand that US President Joe Biden has so far ruled out.
“I think that sooner or later Western planes will also go to Ukraine,” Szatkowski told TVN24 television in an interview on Thursday. “Western, but also post-Soviet systems.”
The UK is already assessing the long-term possibility of sending fighter jets to help in the war against Russia and will begin training Ukrainian pilots in the spring. However, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the logistical challenges of supporting British planes means it’s not feasible to send aircrafts in the short term.
Polish President Andrzej Duda has said that his country doesn’t have the capacity to donate any of its 48 F-16 jets and such a move would require a joint decision from NATO members. Warsaw would consider sending its Soviet-era MiG-29 jets instead, he said.
–With assistance from Piotr Bujnicki.
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