The United States Air Force pulls hundreds of fighter jets each year, planes that could make a decisive difference to Ukraine as it fights Russian invaders, according to Defense Secretary Eric Prince.
Last year, he circulated a plan to send dozens of retired F-16 fighters and refueling tankers to bolster Ukraine’s defense forces and make Russia think twice about the attack.
The plan is modeled on the land leasing program used by the United States to send weapons to Britain during World War II before the United States entered the conflict, with the aid being paid in kind.
On Friday, Prince told that the idea was rejected “in general”.
“The air force would have prevented this aggression in the beginning,” said the Blackwater founder.
“This can still prevent the mass destruction of Ukrainian cities and their stable civilian defenders.”
The issue came to the fore this week.
The main strike by Russian invading forces – a 40-kilometer column of armor and trucks – appears to have been halted on the way to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, prompting calls in the United States to send aid for its destruction.
And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated on Thursday his request for a no-fly zone to protect his country from the Russian air force – only to be officially rejected a day later.
Blackwater founder Eric Prince said his plan to send retired US Air Force planes to Ukraine was rejected “in general” by the White House, but could help Kyiv survive.
This year, the US Air Force plans to retire 47 of its F-16s. Why not send them to Ukraine, says Prince, where they could be flown by retired American pilots?
This year, the U.S. Air Force also plans to retire 14 McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender refueling tankers, such as the one seen here at Travis Air Force Base, California
The Biden administration has already provided $ 1 billion in military aid to the country, but officials have repeatedly said they will not allow US forces to come into direct conflict with Russian forces.
Prince’s plan would work around this.
Budget documents released last year show USAF’s plans to retire 47 obsolete F-16s this year and 14 McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender refueling tankers.
The planes formed the basis of a plan to strengthen Ukraine as part of a land lease program used to arm Britain against the Nazis – allowing the UK to pay for weapons and equipment with agreements to build US bases after the war or simply write off debt.
Another World War II-era scheme would provide the necessary manpower. Retired pilots would fly the planes, which allows Washington to say it has not sent US personnel into action against Russia.
The idea was more like the Flying Tigers Volunteer Air Corps, which helped defend China against Japan in 1941 and 1942, or the Royal Air Force Eagle Squadrons, which included holiday leaflets from their usual business trips.
Prince outlined elements of the plan in an interview with Fox News last month
“Believe me, if 140 former US fighter jets came from well-flying aggressive predators, believe me, Putin wouldn’t have invaded because it’s the kind of deterrence he didn’t expect because he needs superiority in the air,” he said. .
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last weekend, the European Union announced that it was sending fighter jets to Ukraine to be flown by Ukrainian pilots – just for member states to say there is no such deal.
Zelenski, meanwhile, has continued to call for a no-fly zone.
Destroyed Russian tank seen on road near Brovary, east of Kyiv, after being destroyed on Friday morning
People are taking personal belongings out of a burning house after a shelling in the city of Irpin, near Kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his call for a no-fly zone over NATO during a news conference Thursday when he said aid had been delayed.
“We want a no-fly zone because our people have been killed. “From Belarus, from Russia – these missiles, these Iskander missiles and bombers are coming,” he told a news conference on Thursday.
“I asked President Biden, Scholz and Macron… and I said, if you can’t secure a no-fly zone right now, then tell us when?”
The White House has repeatedly said it will not support such a move.
And on Friday, NATO rejected the proposal.
“We have a responsibility as NATO allies to prevent this war from escalating beyond Ukraine, because it would be even more dangerous, more devastating and would cause even more human suffering,” said Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg after a meeting in Brussels.
The decision was welcomed by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who repeated the same language.
“We have a responsibility to ensure that the war does not spread beyond Ukraine … The no-fly zone could lead to a full-fledged war in Europe,” he told reporters.