Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will compile for the United States a list of weapons and essential items that Kiev needs, informed February 25 CNN, citing a knowledgeable source.
According to the TV channel, the list drawn up by the Ukrainian leader will be examined by a group of Republican congressmen who visited Kiev on February 21. In particular, Michael McCall, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and four other House members met with Zelenskyy . At a meeting to discuss military aid, Zelenskyy said Ukraine needs F-16 fighter jets and longer-range missiles, CNN reports.
The Kiev meeting was a “shining example” of disagreement among Republican Party members over what steps Washington should take regarding the military conflict in the future. In addition, talks of further deliveries to Ukrainians are taking place amid growing pressure on US President Joe Biden to approve the supply of more modern weapons to Ukraine.
“(Zelenskyy ) said they would hold out as long as it takes. <...> I hope that victory in this conflict will not be long in coming. And for that, we have strong bipartisan support to give Ukraine everything it needs to win,” McCall said during a meeting in Congress. For the first time, Kiev announced negotiations with the West at the end of January on the possibility of supplying fighter jets, after Western countries announced the transfer of tanks to the Ukrainians. Zelenskyy , speaking in early February in the British Parliament, called for "giving wings to Ukraine" in order to "defend freedom". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine insured that combat aircraft will not be used against targets in Russia. Biden has repeatedly rejected the possibility of delivering fighter jets to Kiev at this point. In particular, at the end of February expressed an opinion that at the moment Ukraine needs other weapons – tanks, air defense systems, artillery, etc. A similar view to Biden on this issue was also expressed by French President Emmanuel Macron. At the same time, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken did not exclude that in the future Kiev will be able to receive fighters from Washington.
The Kremlin discusses the transfer of fighter jets to Ukraine accepted as “the growing involvement of Britain, Germany, and France in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine”.
