Ukraine’s defense minister is arriving in Paris on Tuesday to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron as Kyiv continues to push for the use of fighter jets in the war against Russia.
Aleksey Reznikov is also due to meet with French counterpart Sebastian Lecornu as talks continue with allies for military assistance ahead of Russia’s expected spring offensive, with disagreements within the coalition over warplanes.
Ukrainian officials have hinted that fighter jets are next on Kyiv’s wish list after it finally agreed on Western tanks after months of negotiations.
US President Joe Biden ruled out deliveries of the F-16, considered the most likely model due to its technical capabilities and available quantities, and answered “no” to a question Monday.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz also vehemently ruled out the delivery of aircraft and feared an escalation in the conflict.
But France, more conservative than other coalition partners on arms supplies, has taken a softer stance.
“Nothing is impossible,” Macron said when the issue came up on Monday.
Poland and the Netherlands also looked more optimistic. Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak wrote on Telegram: “We have positive signals from Poland, which is ready to send them to us in cooperation with NATO.”
Mr. Yermak added that Ukraine is “working on … the position of President Macron.”
Lockheed Martin, maker of the F-16, has announced that it will ramp up production to meet all orders.
Ukraine, encouraged by the imminent arrival of Western tanks, is also looking for long-range missiles to hit positions behind enemy lines.
Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said negotiations with the allies were progressing and expressed confidence that an agreement would be reached.
“In order to drastically reduce the main weapon of the Russian army — the artillery they use on the front lines today — we need missiles that destroy their warehouses,” he told Ukrainian media last week.
Both sides are arming and preparing for an escalation in hostilities after a winter lull in the conflict.
The front remained largely static for several months, according to military analysts.
Source: I News
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.