UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has formally requested British Secretary of Defence Ben Wallace look into which RAF combat jets could be supplied to the Ukraine Air Force, following an announcement that London will offer to train Ukrainian fighter pilots for the first time.
The move to transfer fighter jets did not appear imminent, however, as Sunak said it’s intended to serve as a “long-term solution rather than a short-term capability.”
But it could mark a pivotal moment in the fight against Russia by kick-starting deliveries of highly capable, Western-made aircraft.
In a statement from Sunak’s office, released ahead of a visit to the UK today by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, London said that as part of talks between the two leaders, Sunak “will offer to bolster the UK’s training offer for Ukrainian troops, including expanding it to fighter jet pilots to ensure Ukraine can defend its skies well into the future.”
The Ukraine Air Force currently operates Su-24, Su-25 and MiG-29 Soviet-era fighter jets, but Zelensky has long called on equipment supply partners to gift F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv, an aircraft type that the Royal Air Force (RAF) does not operate, and one which the US has so far declined to provide.
Source ( Bloomberg )
© CopyRights RawNews1st
