President Zelensky Asks West to Provide Fighter Jets for Ukraine, British PM Rishi Sunak: Time-consuming Process

PM Sunak with President Zelensky. (Twitter/@RishiSunak)

JAKARTA - President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Britain and other Western nations on Wednesday to provide Ukraine with fighter jets to counter a Russian strike, hoping the West will overcome reluctance to take the step.

Western countries have stepped up their military aid pledges to Ukraine this year by providing hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles and long-range weapons, but have so far refused to send war planes.

Britain said there was nothing wrong and wanted to start training Ukrainian fighter pilots to fly "advanced standard NATO fighter jets in the future".

In addition, London is also reviewing which jets London can deliver, and discussing with allies the need for a supply chain around such an aircraft, but with a caveat, this is a long term measure rather than meeting Kyiv's immediate demands.

"The first step to being able to provide advanced aircraft is to have soldiers or airmen capable of using them. That is a process that takes time. We have started that process today," Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said alongside President Zelensky at an army camp in Dorset, southwest England, according to Reuters, February 9.

Britain also announced a wave of immediate military deployments, to help Ukraine fend off intensifying Russian attacks.

President Zelensky earlier praised Britain and the West for the support and sanctions they have provided so far, in a speech to lawmakers from across the political spectrum at Westminster Hall, London.

PM Sunak with President Zelensky on a visit to Ukrainian military training. (Twitter/@10DowningStreet)

Wearing an air force helmet, President Zelensky sent a British MP's "we have freedom, give us wings to protect it" message, calling on the West to hand over the fighter jets.

"I appeal to you and the world, in simple but most important words, warplanes for Ukraine, wings for freedom," he pleaded.

Later, with PM Sunak, President Zelensky said through an interpreter he had heard from the British leader "a desire to provide fighter jets".

Sunak's spokesman said the defense secretary would examine what jets the UK might be able to provide, "but to be clear this is a long term solution, rather than a short term capability which is what Ukraine needs most now".

In response, the TASS news agency cited the Russian Embassy to the UK as a warning that any delivery of British fighter jets to Ukraine would have serious military and political consequences.

The UK has trained 10.000 combat-ready Ukrainian troops in the past six months and will train another 20.000 this year, the government says.

Last week, Ukrainian troops arrived in Britain to learn how to operationalize the Challenger 2 tank, which PM Sunak said would be operational in Ukraine next month.

Justin Bronk, an expert at the RUSI think tank wrote on Twitter, the move to train pilots would likely involve simulators rather than advanced Western aircraft and did not mean the UK would be supplying such jets soon. But it will help pilots prepare for the possibility of such deliveries in the future.