KYIV, Ukraine (AP) 鈥� Ukraine won support Tuesday from Baltic nations and Poland in its quest to obtain Western fighter jets, but there were no signs that larger nations like the U.S. and Britain have changed their stance of refusing to provide warplanes to Kyiv Russia's invading forces.
鈥淯kraine needs fighter jets ... missiles, tanks. We need to act,鈥� Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said in the Latvian capital of Riga at a news conference with his Baltic and Polish colleagues. Those countries, which lie on NATO's eastern flank, feel especially threatened by Russia and have been the leading advocates for providing military aid.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov held talks with his French counterpart, saying they did not discuss but they did talk about aviation 鈥減latforms鈥� to help Ukraine鈥檚 ground-to-air defense.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how quick it will be, this response from Western allies鈥� to Kyiv's requests for fighter jets, Reznikov said. 鈥淚鈥檓 optimistic and I think it will be as soon as possible.鈥�
He also listed weapons Ukraine has sought in the past year, starting with Stingers, and said the first response was always, 鈥淚mpossible.鈥欌�� Eventually though, he said, 鈥渋t became possible.鈥欌��
French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, speaking with Reznikov, said there are 鈥渘o taboos鈥� on sending fighter jets. He also confirmed France is sending 12 more Caesar cannons in the coming weeks.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that France doesn鈥檛 exclude sending fighter jets but set out conditions before such a step is taken, including not leading to an escalation of tensions or using the aircraft 鈥渢o touch Russian soil,鈥� and not resulting in weakening 鈥渢he capacities of the French army.鈥�
Reznikov's trip came a week after Western nations pledged to send Kyiv sophisticated
Several Western leaders have expressed concern that providing warplanes could escalate the conflict and draw them in deeper.
The U.K. government, among Kyiv鈥檚 staunchest supporters and military suppliers, said sending its fighter jets is 鈥渘ot practical.鈥� Prime Minister Rishi Sunak鈥檚 spokesman, Max Blain, said Tuesday that 鈥渢he U.K.鈥檚 Typhoon and F-35 fighter jets are extremely sophisticated and take months to learn how to fly," although he didn鈥檛 say London was opposed to other nations sending planes.
Asked Monday if his administration was considering sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, U.S. President Joe Biden responded, 鈥淣o.鈥�
On Tuesday, Reznikov was asked if Biden鈥檚 鈥樷�檔o鈥� to F-16s was the final word.
鈥淎ll types of help first passed through the 鈥榥o鈥� stage," he said. "Which only means 鈥榥o鈥� at today鈥檚 given moment. The second stage is, 鈥楲et鈥檚 talk and study technical possibilities.鈥� The third stage is, 鈥楲et鈥檚 get your personnel trained.鈥� And the fourth stage is the transfer (of equipment).鈥�
Reznikov said Ukraine went through those stages before it got the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, the Bradley armored vehicles and 155mm artillery.
鈥淩emember the story of the German Leopards -- the answer was also 鈥榥o,鈥欌�� he added. "And now we have a tank coalition. Therefore I believe an airplane coalition is within reach. But first there should always be a leader. And that鈥檚 why I鈥檓 here.鈥�
Kyiv has repeatedly urged callling them essential to challenging Russia鈥檚 air superiority and to ensure the success of future counteroffensives spearheaded by Western tanks.
The West also has ruled out providing Kyiv with long-range missiles able to hit Russian territory, citing potential escalation.
Western allies agreed last week to send the tanks, despite the hesitation and caution of some NATO members.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz appeared to balk at providing fighter jets, suggesting Sunday the reason for the discussion might be 鈥渄omestic political motives鈥� in some countries.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Monday there are 鈥渘o taboos鈥� in efforts to help Ukraine but added that jets 鈥渨ould be a very big next step.鈥�
Asked Tuesday about Western weapons supplies to Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov repeated the Kremlin鈥檚 view that 鈥淣ATO long has been directly involved into a hybrid war against Russia.鈥�
Following talks in Moscow with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, he said the Russian military will 鈥渢ake all the necessary measures to derail the fulfillment of Western plans.鈥�
He said Shoukry conveyed a message from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken about Ukraine, which repeated calls from Washington for Russia to withdraw. Lavrov said 鈥淩ussia is ready to hear any serious 鈥� I want to underline this word 鈥� proposal aimed at comprehensive settlement of the current situation.鈥�
Both Ukraine and Russia are believed to be building up their arsenals for an expected offensive in the coming months after the war being deadlocked on the battlefield during winter.
Asked about Lithuania鈥檚 call for fighter jets and long-range missiles for Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the comments 鈥渞eflected an aggressive approach taken by the Baltic nations and Poland, who are ready to do everything to provoke further escalation without thinking about consequences.鈥�
Croatia President Zoran Milanovic, meanwhile, criticized Western nations for supplying Ukraine with tanks and other weapons, those deliveries will only prolong the war.
Early in the conflict, discussions focused on possibly providing Kyiv with Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets that Ukrainian pilots are familiar with. In March, the Pentagon rejected Poland鈥檚 proposal to transfer its MiG-29s to Kyiv through a U.S. base in Germany, citing a risk of triggering a Russia-NATO escalation.
Ukraine inherited a significant fleet of Soviet-made warplanes, including Su-27 and MiG-29 fighter jets and Su-25 ground attack aircraft. Switching to Western aircraft would require Ukrainian crews to undergo long training and raise logistical challenges over maintenance and repair.
Russia methodically targeted Ukrainian air bases and air defense batteries in the opening stage of the war, but Ukraine has relocated its warplanes and concealed air defense assets, resulting in Moscow鈥檚 failure to gain full control of the skies.
After suffering early, heavy losses, the Russian air force has avoided venturing deep into Ukraine鈥檚 airspace and mostly focused on close support missions along the front line.
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Susie Blann, The Associated Press
