NATO revisits idea of ​​supplying Kyiv with fighter jets – retired US admiral – Reuters

NATO leaders are considering a possible U-turn on providing Ukraine with advanced fighter jets, retired Supreme Allied Commander and US Navy Admiral James Stavridis said in an op-ed published by Bloomberg on Tuesday.

According to Stavridis, the bloc could send fighter jets such as Soviet-designed MiG-29s, which are currently in use in Poland, as well as US surplus F-16s, which he describes as « Easy-to-learn multi-role fighters. »

The retired admiral also suggested that the West will eventually respond to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s request to help shut down the country’s airspace and provide increased numbers of high-end air-to-surface missile systems. range, as well as Israeli-made Iron Dome and NATO. Patriot batteries.

Although Stavridis did not specify where the information on these plans came from, his editorial was published on the same day that NATO foreign ministers meet in Bucharest, the Romanian capital, to discuss the future assistance to kyiv in its conflict with Moscow.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg opened the forum by again calling on member states to provide more military support to Ukraine. « as long as it takes » and insisting that Russia must not be allowed to win on the battlefield.

The West has so far refused to supply kyiv with fighter jets, fearing that such a move could be interpreted by Moscow as a declaration of war. Some states also pointed out that donating such equipment to Ukraine would leave their home territories defenseless.

Israel has also been reluctant to supply kyiv with its Iron Dome missile defense system, arguing that it simply does not have the production capacity to supply such systems to Ukraine.

Moscow, meanwhile, has repeatedly warned the West against « pumping » Ukraine with weapons, insisting that this only serves to prolong the conflict and cause more unnecessary bloodshed.

You can share this story on social media:

Follow RT on