Amid Poland’s decision to send MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, the United States reaffirmed its existing position not to send fighter jets to Ukraine.
When asked about Poland’s announcement at a video briefing on the 16th (local time), White House National Security Council (NSC) Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said, “It’s a sovereign decision that every country can make. We respect that sovereign decision.” do,” he said.
Regarding the US government’s negative stance on fighter aid to Ukraine, he said, “but that doesn’t change our calculations for the F-16.”
Kirby said U.S. fighter support for Ukraine is “not on the table right now”. does not give,” he emphasized.
In the meantime, the US government has shown a negative stance on the support of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
President Joe Biden dismissed on the 24th of last month, saying, “Ukraine does not need F-16 fighter jets now,” and White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also said last month, “Ukraine is now seeking tanks to regain territory occupied by Russia.” “We need infantry fighting vehicles, armored vehicles, artillery, and air defense systems,” he said. “The F-16 is an afterthought.”
Secretary of State Tony Blincoln, who is visiting Niger in West Africa, also commented on Poland’s decision to support fighters at a press conference that day, saying, “This is a country that decides what they (Poland) will provide to help defend Ukraine against Russian invasion. It is their sovereign decision.”
“Our focus is to do the best we can to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs and can use, especially at this moment,” he said.
“We are working closely with dozens of countries on this issue,” he said. “But each country is doing different things depending on what they have and what demands they can understand.”
Blincoln said it was a mistake to focus on one weapon system at a time, listing the vast military resources Ukraine needs, including air defense, artillery, ammunition and armored vehicles.
This is interpreted as drawing another line in the possibility of US fighter jet support while maintaining the existing position that ground weapons support is given priority over fighter jets in the current war situation in Ukraine.
Earlier, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced on the same day that “in the next few days we will first deliver four fully functional MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine.”
Duda added that Poland currently has about 10 to 20 MiG-29s and that “additional fighter support is currently being prepared and will probably be transferred sequentially”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appealed to Western allies for fighter support, but the West has been hesitant to provide fighter jets for fear of escalating the war.
Poland, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), has provided full support for Ukraine since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began last year.
It is said that Slovakia is also considering whether to support the MiG-29 to Ukraine, but has not yet made a decision.
(Washington-Seoul = News 1)
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.