Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dimitro Kuleba has called for «removing the taboo» on supplying fighter jets to the country and stressed the need to form «a squadron of Western aircraft».
«I have no doubts that we will open the option of supplying fighter jets (…) The whole team is working to open this last closed door,» the foreign minister said during a speech reported by UNIAN agency.
In Minister Kuleba’s own words, Ukraine «does not care» what model of aircraft is supplied, the important thing is «to open this position, to remove the taboo and to get the first squadron of aircraft».
Thus, the head of Ukrainian diplomacy has acknowledged that he has no preference for the American F16, the Swedish Air Force Gripen, the French Rafale or Mirage, or even the Eurofighter, of joint European manufacture.
In this sense, Kuleba remarked once again that the only impediment of the Western powers for not supplying fighter planes is only psychological, recalling at this point the situation that occurred with the battle tanks.
Last January Germany unblocked the delivery of Leopard tanks to Ukraine by foreign powers with these armored vehicles in possession, and also joined the supply of battle tanks to Ukraine.
Following the step taken by Berlin, Washington also confirmed that it would send more than thirty Abrams model tanks to Kiev. Now, Kuleba has praised the perseverance of the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, and his diplomatic team in persuading the Western powers.
However, Kiev’s allies now seem unwilling to reinforce the Ukrainian Armed Forces with fighter jets, demanded by the Ukrainian authorities as soon as the Western commitment to send tanks was closed.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
