European leaders do not exclude the supply of fighter jets to Ukraine

European countries moved closer yesterday to honoring Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s request for military aircraft, suggesting that the Ukrainian president’s heartfelt demands during his blitz visit to allies may have paid off.

Mr. Zelenskiy, who met with 27 EU leaders at the Brussels summit on Thursday, made jet deliveries his top priority in his speeches and meetings with individual leaders.

A week earlier, the prospect of a European ally supplying aircraft seemed almost fantastic, but after the president’s three-day visits to London, Paris, Brussels and Poland, the issue is now under scrutiny.

Leaders are sympathetic but are trying to find ways to deliver the planes without weakening their own forces, escalating the conflict too quickly, or creating expectations that untrained Ukrainian pilots could soon fly the planes.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that his country is ready to send Soviet MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine, but they can only operate “within the framework of the entire formation of NATO.” Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger told Zelensky that he was also ready to work on laying down MiG-29 aircraft.

Other countries are considering supplying Western aircraft such as the F-16. Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said she would provide as much support as she could. “Finland has said it is ready to help as much as needed,” she said. “For example, we know the need for air defense and air defense systems. And there will be discussions in fighter space.”

Dutch Defense Minister Kaisa Ollongren has confirmed Ukraine’s official request for aircraft, including 26 F-16s that have been phased out as part of the transition to the next-generation F-35. “We always take all requests from Ukraine very seriously,” she said. “But fighter jets are very complex. It is more than just learning to fly such an aircraft. There is a whole system of logistics.”

And at a press conference at an EU summit on Thursday, Zelenskiy said he had already heard encouraging voices from political leaders.

“I am undoubtedly most inspired by the statements that Europe will be with us until victory. And today I heard from the leaders of some European states that they are ready to provide us with the necessary weapons, including aviation,” he said.

In London on Wednesday, Zelensky pushed his cause to get “wings for freedom” and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak opened the door and asked his defense secretary to see what planes could be brought in.

One of the strongest messages of support came from European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, who received Zelensky at a special meeting on Thursday. “States must quickly consider the next step in providing the long-range systems and aircraft they need to protect the freedom that too many take for granted,” she said, although she does not have direct authority to provide such aircraft.

Even French President Emmanuel Macron was ready to send planes to Ukraine. “I’m not ruling anything out,” he said, but added that long-range fighters and missiles “do not meet today’s needs.”

And Germany, which until last month had long refrained from delivering tanks, also hinted that deliveries might come later, with a Defense Ministry spokesman saying: “For us, this issue is not on the agenda right now. “

At the summit, Zelensky asked Sweden to provide the Jas 39 Gripen fighter, which is produced by the Swedish defense group Saab. While Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that was not an option at the moment, Saab CEO Mikael Johansson said he expected defense orders to increase.