Ukraine's Foreign Minister has urged the international community to supply F-16 fighter jets to deter Russian aggression, noting that this would not provoke Russia to "escalate" as was previously claimed about other types of weapons that Ukraine had received.
Types of weapons that, we were told, would ‘provoke Russia to escalate’ if supplied to Ukraine but never did:
Artillery
MLRS
Air Defense
Tanks
Long-range missilesF-16s will not either. Giving Ukraine F-16s will deter Russia rather than ‘provoke’ it. Time to take this step.
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) April 27, 2023
The call for F-16s comes as Ukraine seeks to defend against Russian aircraft dropping modernized high-explosive bombs. According to the spokesman for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Yuriy Ihnat, F-16s capable of launching missiles up to 180 kilometers would be the most effective solution. Ukraine’s counteroffensive could be very difficult without air superiority, especially as the Russian defense lines are heavily fortified with military manpower.
Ukraine needs F-16s for defense against modernized Russian bombs – Air Force Command
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