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A bipartisan group of House members wrote to President Biden this week urging him to send fighter jets to Ukraine in a move that would increase America’s involvement in the nation’s war with Ukraine.
Five House members said modern jets like the F-16 “could prove decisive for control of Ukrainian airspace this year.” Kyiv has long urged the United States to provide fighter jets, but President Biden told reporters a few weeks ago that he would not.
The letter was led by Maine Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, with Republican Reps. Tony Gonzales, Texas, and Mike Gallagher, Wis., and Democratic Reps. Chrissy Houlahan, Pennsylvania, and Jason Crow, Colorado, signing. All five have military experience.
The bipartisan group first praised Biden for his continued support for Ukraine, before calling on him to send in the F-16 Fighting Falcon or a similar fourth-generation aircraft “as soon as possible.”
A bipartisan group of House members wrote to President Biden this week urging him to send fighter jets to Ukraine in a move that would increase America’s involvement in the nation’s war with Ukraine.
“In contrast to the current ground-based air defense platforms currently used by Ukrainian forces, the ability of fighter jets to quickly traverse a large battlespace with a significant weapons load could prove decisive for control of Ukrainian airspace this year”, the letter reviewed by DailyMail. .com read.
It’s just the latest push on Capitol Hill to give Kiev a stronger defense capability to defeat Russia’s long-awaited spring offensive, though US lawmakers are split on the issue of fighter jets.
Some say the Ukrainians are not equipped to use the planes, while others have expressed concern that the United States is already too involved in a conflict whose end is unclear.
Time is of the essence, lawmakers say, given how long it takes to train pilots on such sophisticated planes. But they noted that the Ukrainian pilots had trained with American pilots in 2011 and again in 2018 after Russia’s invasion of Crimea.
Ukraine has reportedly identified up to 50 English-speaking pilots who could be trained to operate the planes within three months.
When asked late last month if the United States would send the fighter jets that kyiv is scrambling to receive, Biden responded with a simple ‘no’.
Biden said he was going to “talk” to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about Ukraine’s latest request for sophisticated weapons, after he agreed to send 31 Abrams tanks last week.
Ukraine said it would continue to push for the planes, noting that the United States had refused to provide other weapons, such as tanks, before eventually conceding.
‘All kinds of assistance at the beginning went through the ‘no’ stage. This means ‘no’ from today,’ said Oleksii Reznikov, the defense minister.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnaht was quoted by the Ukrainian outlet as saying that kyiv needs up to 200 multi-role fighter jets such as F-16s to defend its skies.
The US president has been known to change his mind as the conflict in the East drags on: Last year he said that delivering tanks to Ukraine could result in World War III.
The letter was addressed by Maine Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, above, with Republican Reps. Tony Gonzales, Texas, and Mike Gallagher, Wis., and Democratic Reps. Chrissy Houlahan, Pennsylvania, and Jason Crow, Colorado, signing. All five have military experience.
Ukrainian serviceman from the “24 separate mechanized brigade named after King Danylo” fires a mortar towards Russian positions, in an undisclosed location, Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, February 17, 2023
An armed Ukrainian soldier stands guard over a damaged power facility during a visit by the Dutch Prime Minister, not far from kyiv (kyiv), Ukraine, on February 17, 2023.
Biden reversed course after initially pushing Germany to send its Leopard tanks to Ukraine. German lawmakers insisted they did not want to be the first to commit to sending tanks to Ukraine, lest they anger Russia.
Now, 11 countries have pledged tanks, 22 have pledged infantry fighting vehicles, 16 have promised artillery and ammunition and nine more have offered air defense artillery, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters this week. .
Milley even declared that Russia has ‘lost’ the war, a point that Russia would surely refute. Both sides are preparing spring offensives.
“Russia has lost,” he told reporters. “They have lost strategically, operationally and tactically, and they are paying a huge price on the battlefield. But until Putin ends his war of choice, the international community will continue to support Ukraine; the equipment and skills you need to defend yourself. Through this group, we are collectively supporting Ukraine’s ability to defend its territory, protect its citizens and liberate its occupied area.”
Defense Sec Lloyd Austin has said that Russia has resulted in the dumping of large numbers of untrained troops in its war effort.