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| US Still Considering Supply of Fighter Jets to Ukraine |
Washington - The United States is still considering supplying modern fighter jets to Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict with Russia. This was revealed by US Deputy Secretary of Defense Colin Kahl.
However, Kahl said, no final decision has been made on this issue and actual deliveries could take years to materialize while Kiev in turn should be able to maintain and finance advanced weapons systems.
Quoted from Russia Today, Colin Kahl said “With regard to future aircraft, fourth generation aircraft, for example, even if we provide them now, they will not arrive for many years, so we have focused on, with regard to their fighter aircraft, on what they need to support current efforts to defend in the east and possibly counterattack, I can tell you that warplanes remain on the table, it's just that no final decision has been made on that yet."
Kahl's remarks referred to the recently approved delivery of air-to-surface missiles that can be used by the remaining fighter aircraft in Ukraine's inventory. According to Kahl because the potential delivery of fighter aircraft is a problem with an uncertain future, its exact shape can only take shape when the ongoing conflict reaches one point or another, signaling a long-term plan to support Kiev.
However, Kahl stressed, any weapons systems, including potential fighter jets, must be sustainable and Kiev must be able to “pay for” them. This shows that abundant Western aid will not flow to Ukraine forever.
Russia has repeatedly warned the West against pumping Ukraine with weapons, insisting the aid will only prolong the conflict rather than change the outcome. The United States remains Kiev's main arms supplier, having funneled billions of dollars in military aid and shipped large amounts of weapons to shore up Ukraine's military.