Topline
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said Wednesday the United States does not support supplying Ukraine with Soviet-era fighter jets to aid in its fight against Russia, framing the idea as a high-risk, low-reward proposition that could escalate the conflict—rebuffing Ukraine’s request for jets and Poland’s offer to make warplanes available.
Mig-29 fighters of Ukrainian Air Force on a military airbase in Vasylkiv, some 30km of Kiev, on … [+]
Key Facts
The Polish government said Tuesday it’s willing to transfer its more than two dozen MiG-29 fighter jets—a type that is also flown by Ukraine—to the U.S. at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where they would presumably be made available to the Ukrainian air force.
Kirby turned down Poland’s offer hours later, calling it logistically challenging and risky, and in a Wednesday afternoon press briefing, Kirby thanked Poland but said the United States does not want to transfer planes to Ukraine in the first place.
Kirby said Ukraine still has some aircraft in working order, so adding more fighter jets to the country’s fleet “is not likely to significantly change the effectiveness of the Ukrainian air force relative to Russian capabilities,” and he argued Ukraine would be better-served with more anti-tank and surface-to-air missiles from Western countries.
He also warned sending fighter aircraft to Ukraine “may be mistaken as escalatory” by Russia, raising the threat that NATO could be dragged into a broader fight—unnamed U.S. officials raised similar concerns to NBC News earlier this week, telling the outlet Russia may perceive adding fighter jets as direct NATO involvement in the war.
Crucial Quote
“At this time, we believe the provision of additional fighter aircraft provides little increased capabilities at high risk,” Kirby said Wednesday. “We also believe that there are alternative options that are much better suited to support the Ukrainian military.”
Key Background
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked for help securing more fighter jets in a call with Congress last weekend, as his country’s military battles a Russian invasion. Shortly after the war began, EU security chief Josep Borrell said that the bloc had crafted a deal for member states to provide Ukraine with used Soviet warplanes, but it quickly collapsed. The United States weighed asking Poland—a former Soviet bloc country—to give its MiG-29s to Ukraine in exchange for U.S.-made F-16s, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that NATO members had the “green light” to give jets to Ukraine, but the plan has faced some logistical hurdles. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Monday warned of “a number of challenging practical questions, including how the planes would actually be transferred from Poland to Ukraine. … Are they going to fly? Where will they depart from? Where will they land?” The idea could also clash with NATO’s aim to back the Ukrainian government without directly joining a war against Russia. Polish President Andrzej Duda said last week “we are not sending any jets to Ukraine because that would open a military interference in the Ukrainian conflict,” and the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday didn’t offer to give its planes directly to Ukraine, instead effectively asking the United States to serve as an intermediary.
Contra
Some U.S. lawmakers have pushed to give planes to Ukraine. Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) argued Saturday the primary alternative to resupplying the Ukrainian air force would be to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine, an idea both Sasse and the Biden Administration have ruled out due to the risk of a confrontation between Russian and NATO pilots. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also encouraged the Biden Administration to find a way to transfer planes to Ukraine.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2022/03/09/pentagon-opposes-sending-mig-29-fighter-jets-to-ukraine/