Published: 03.06.2022 – 18:49
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmitry Kuleba at the Polish border on Saturday. The United States will provide $350 million in military assistance to Ukraine to help Kiev repel a Russian invasion. They are also ready to supply Russian fighter jets to Kyiv.
With our correspondent in New York, Carrie Nuten
One of the main problems for Ukrainian soldiers is that they have not learned how to fly American F-16s and are more accustomed to Soviet-era fighters such as MiGs, which Washington cannot provide them with.
►Also read: War in Ukraine: Anthony Blinken meets his Ukrainian counterpart in Poland
Realizing that NATO countries would not establish a no-fly zone, which would directly involve them in the conflict, Vladimir Zelensky called on the countries of Eastern Europe to provide him with military assistance, including these planes, on which Ukrainians can fly.
Exchange between F-16 and MiGs
The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, has already suggested that European countries deliver it to him, but Poland, Bulgaria and Slovakia have expressed reservations.
Then on Saturday, the Ukrainian president addressed US senators, and now Washington is considering offering Poland to simply trade American F-16s for its old Russian fighter jets to then hand them over to Kiev.
Vladimir Putin has already reacted by warning Ukraine’s neighboring countries that “welcome” their warplanes. A thinly veiled threat.