Stoltenberg: Fighter jets are "not the most pressing issue for Ukraine right now"
Austin: No sign of Russia preparing for 'massive air attack' for now
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday that they do not see Russia "increasing its air power" ahead of an air operation against Ukraine.
Source. CNN
"In terms of whether Russia is assembling its aircraft for a massive air attack, we don't see that right now. We know that Russia has a significant number of aircraft in its inventory and many capabilities," he said.
"That's why we emphasize that we need to do everything possible to ensure that Ukraine gets as many air defense capabilities as possible," he emphasized.
Austin spoke from Brussels, where he and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley are meeting with other defense ministers at the ninth meeting of the Ramstein Contact Group on Ukraine's defense.
At the same time, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that the decision on whether to send modern fighter jets to Ukraine is "not the most pressing issue right now."
Instead, the Alliance should focus on providing the military support it has already pledged to Ukraine, Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels ahead of a meeting of NATO defense ministers.
"The urgent need now is to deliver what was promised. To deliver the armored vehicles, the German infantry fighting vehicles, the American Bradleys and of course also the Leopard battle tanks and other tanks that were promised," Stoltenberg said.
Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky actively appealed to allies to send modern fighter jets to Ukraine. In particular, he addressed the Netherlands with an official request for the supply of American F-16 aircraft.
"The issue of aircraft is not the most pressing issue now. But it is an ongoing discussion," Stoltenberg said on Tuesday.
Background. As a reminder, General Mark Milley said that Russia has lost "strategically and operationally" a year after the invasion of Ukraine.
If you have read this article to the end, we hope that means it was useful for you.
We work to ensure that our journalistic and analytical work is of high quality, and we strive to perform it as competently as possible. This also requires financial independence. Support us for only UAH 196 per month.
Become a Mind subscriber for just USD 5 per month and support the development of independent business journalism!
You can unsubscribe at any time in your LIQPAY account or by sending us an email: [email protected]
