Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Wednesday he was “absolutely” convinced that Western countries would supply Kiev with fighter jets, despite the fact that some of them have so far been lukewarm to the idea.
In recent weeks, President Joe Biden has said that Washington will not supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also ruled out sending fighter jets.
Other countries, notably Poland, have signaled they are open to the idea, but will only act with broad Western support.
The UK has said it will provide training for Ukrainian fighter pilots, but has not yet said whether it will supply the fighters.
In an interview with Reuters in Brussels, Reznikov noted that Ukraine’s allies have already supplied a number of Western weapons systems after initially saying they would not. “The impossible has become possible,” he said.
“This will protect, above all, our civilian population and, of course, our armed forces,” he said.
Some Western officials also noted that it would likely take several months to supply the fighter jets and train the Ukrainian pilots. Others also expressed concern that the supply of Western fighters could lead to a dangerous escalation of the war.
Speaking a day after a meeting in Brussels with NATO defense ministers and a coalition of more than 50 nations backing Kiev, Reznikov said the allies were weighing which fighter model would be best for Ukraine. .
When asked if he was convinced that Ukraine would eventually get jets, Reznikov replied: “Absolutely, I’m sure of it.”
Reznikov said air defense remains Ukraine’s priority in terms of military assistance. According to him, if Russia launches a major offensive, it will use its own air force.
“This is a real threat, so we need the latest and most modern aircraft – to stop it, defeat it, contain it,” he stressed.
Reznikov also said on Wednesday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had asked him to remain defense minister. The comment came after a senior Zelenskyy party official said Reznikov would be replaced.
