Finland may consider providing Ukraine with Hornet fighter jets, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said during a visit to Kyiv.
Source. This was reported by Yle.
"I think we could discuss Hornet: whether it is possible to send them to Ukraine, and what preparation will be required for this," she said.
The Finnish Air Force currently has 62 such fighters. Hornets were developed in the 1970s in the United States by McDonnell Douglas, which became part of Boeing in 1997. Marin reminded that Finland has ordered 64 F-35 fighters from Washington to replace the outdated aircraft.
"We have already made a decision on a new purchase, and we have the existing equipment. We can evaluate its use," she said, adding that it is necessary to take into account the country's geopolitical situation and take care of its own defense.
In his turn, President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö said that Marin had not discussed her idea to transfer decommissioned Hornet fighter jets to Kyiv with anyone before voicing it at a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen confirmed that it was a personal initiative of the prime minister and added that he had warned Marin against it. According to him, the commander of the defense forces, Tim Kivinen, was not aware of this in advance.
Kaikkonen reminded that Finland will receive modern American F-35s only in 2026, so in the next few years, the country will need Hornets for its own defense. On the other hand, by the end of their service life, taking into account the degree of wear and tear, the benefits of these fighters will be "quite low" – under these conditions, transferring them to Ukraine is "quite a difficult task," the minister added.
Kaikkonen emphasized that he strongly supports the continuation of heavy weapons supplies to Ukraine, but now Finland "should think about other options, not Hornets."
Background. During her visit to Kyiv, Sanna Marin said that Finland was preparing the 14th aid package for Ukraine. She assured that there is not a single politician in her country who does not support Ukraine.