Since Russia attacked Ukraine almost a year ago, there has been a lot of talk about “red lines”. From the western side, there has been great concern that deliveries of western weapons to Ukraine would provoke Russia to go even harder in the war. First, light hand-held rockets were delivered that could be used against tanks, helicopters and aircraft. Later, cannons and advanced missiles of the Himars type were provided. It was far too late to make promises about modern and powerful tanks. Ukraine asks for fighter jets But all these red lines have been crossed. Now the Ukrainian president is asking for even more. A DREAM: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says it is an important task to supply the country with Western fighter jets. Photo: US AIR FORCE / Reuters – We need to get supplies of long-range missiles to Ukraine. It is important to expand cooperation on artillery. We need to get supplies of planes to Ukraine. This is a dream and a task, an important task for all of us, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said recently. The day before yesterday, US President Joe Biden said “no” when asked if he supported the idea of sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. Yesterday he said that “we will talk together” with the Ukrainians about their wishes for new advanced weapons. This is reported by the AFP news agency. Senior defense analyst at the Norwegian Foreign Policy Institute, Per Erik Solli, tells news that the US may not want to give US fighter jets to Ukraine. – Politically, it is more likely that the Americans will allow other countries to provide Western fighter jets to Ukraine, says Solli. Several countries will give The political news website Politico writes that Congress already last summer allocated 100 million dollars to be used to train Ukrainian pilots to fly American fighter jets. In October, Ukraine is said to have selected dozens of pilots for such training. PROCESS: A Norwegian expert says it will take up to a year and a half to train Ukrainian pilots to deliver weapons with Western fighters. Photo: Sgt. John S. Chapman / AFP According to Politico, Dutch Defense Minister Wopke Hoekstra said a short time ago that the country’s government will consider supplying F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine if the country’s authorities request it. – We are open to it, there are no taboos, said the minister. Poland and France are also looking more closely at similar requests from Ukraine. Current topic – The debate about supplying Ukraine with Western fighter jets has been going on for a long time, even if it has not taken place in the public sphere, says Solli. INDIRECT: Senior defense analyst at the Norwegian Foreign Policy Institute, Per Erik Solli, believes it is most likely that the US will allow other countries to provide fighter jets to Ukraine. Photo: Nupi He is himself a retired colonel and former F-16 pilot and says that it takes quite a long time to train pilots to use Western aircraft tactically, i.e. to deliver weapons. He believes that it will take from one to a year and a half from the time it is decided that Ukraine can get F-16 until the planes can be used in the war. It may therefore be important to start the training of pilots and ground personnel as early as possible, preferably before a political decision is made. The Nupi expert points out that there has been considerable movement in the red lines in the past year, and that the next step will not be as big as it might have seemed a short time ago. – If you had asked me two months ago, I would have said no, but now I think it is possible that Ukraine could eventually get Western fighter jets, says Solli. He emphasizes that it is a prerequisite that the Ukrainian authorities guarantee that the planes will not be used to hit targets inside Russia. According to Solli, Western countries have confidence that the Ukrainians will deal with this.
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Western countries consider giving fighter jets to Ukraine – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
