Several American media outlets have mentioned the possibility of an agreement with Poland, a country on the border with Ukraine, so that it can supply Soviet aircraft to Ukraine, which is fighting against Russia.
The United States is considering striking a deal with Poland to supply Ukraine with Soviet warplanes in exchange for American F-16 fighter jets, several US media outlets reported Saturday.
“We are working with the Poles on this issue and are consulting with our other NATO allies,” said a White House official quoted by one of the media.
Kyiv is calling on Westerners to provide it with military assistance, including by aircraft, to defend against a Russian invasion that lasted 11 days on Sunday. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, in particular, called on the countries of Eastern Europe to provide him with Russian-made aircraft, on which Ukrainians can fly.
During a virtual chat Saturday with elected members of the US Congress, the Ukrainian president called for tougher economic sanctions against Russia, specifically a ban on imports of Russian oil and gas.
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), which cites two people who participated in that Zoom exchange, the Ukrainian president also asked for fighter jets when Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell asked him he didn’t need any more.
10 billion dollars
Elected members of the US Congress pledged ten billion dollars in aid to Ukraine during this virtual exchange. But the White House has at this stage dismissed the hypothesis of a ban on energy imports from Russia, fearing a surge in prices for US consumers already hit by record inflation.
The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said last Sunday that EU countries are ready to supply MiG-type fighters, which Ukrainian pilots know how to handle, but interested countries, including Bulgaria, Poland or Slovakia, then showed great restraint.
Last week, the United States announced it would provide $350 million in military aid to Ukraine to help Kiev repel a Russian invasion, the largest aid in United States history.