The Ukrainian Minister of Defence has asked Germany to add “Eurofighter” Typhoon fighter jets to the “aviation coalition” and to train their pilots.
Oleksiy Reznikov said in an interview with t
he German media group Funke and the French publication Ouest France that he does see the possibility Ukraine will receive from Germany Eurofighter and Typhoon fighter jets.
Reznikov said, “If the UK and Germany combined their capabilities to supply Eurofighter fighters, it would be an important step.”
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He said that Ukraine ideally needs around 120 fighter jets in total, adding, “The largest part should be F-16, of which there are more than 5,000 in the world.
“But Eurofighter and Gripen would also help us.”
The Defence Minister said that on Eurofighters, with our Swedish friends, “we are discussing how to start training on Saab Gripen aircraft.”
Earlier this month the US and the Netherlands announced to train Ukrainian pilots on the Lockheed Martin made F-16 fighter jets.
Between the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark they could immediately donate around 50 F-16s.
However, NATO has been warned that they risk sparking a “new dimension” and a further “escalation” in the war if they continue to supply weapons to Ukraine.
The Russian ambassador to London Andrei Kelin warned that Russia is “16 times bigger than Ukraine and they have “enormous resources,” adding that currently they have not even started to “act seriously.”
Kelin said the so called “special military operation” depends “on the efforts in escalation of war that is being undertaken by NATO countries, especially by the UK,” he told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg.
Russia has also warned NATO that they are “facing huge risks” if they supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine after the US has said they will allow allies to give them to Kyiv.
Russian deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko warned the West will face “colossal risks” supplying the US made fighter jets in what will be a major boost for Ukraine.
Grushko said, “We see that Western countries are still adhering to the escalation scenario. It involves colossal risks for themselves.
“In any case, this will be taken into account in all our plans, and we have all the necessary means to achieve the goals we have set.”
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