Ex-UK PM Johnson urges Sunak to ignore Putin, send F-16 jets to Kiev
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During a surprise visit to Washington, Johnson said there was "no reason to delay" support to Ukrainian forces.
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Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson records a televised message to the nation released on May 10, 2020 in London, England. (Getty Images)
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to "forget Putin" and send fighter jets to Ukraine.
During a surprise visit to Washington, Johnson said there was no reason to delay support to Ukraine's forces.
"Save time, save money, save lives. Give the Ukrainians what they need as fast as possible. Get this thing done. Forget about Putin. Go for economic stability & long term peace & prosperity," the disgraced former Prime Minister told FoxNews.
"Every time we’ve said it would be a mistake to give such and such weaponry to Ukraine, we ended up doing it," he added
A spokesperson for the British Prime Minister said the move would be unpractical as it would take several months for Ukrainian forces to learn how to operate the warplanes.
In spite of the criticism of Johnson's tour in Washington, mainly because of his role and influence in foreign policy, British sources have indicated that the former prime minister will continue to work for continued US support for Ukraine.
Read more: Nearly four times as many Americans say US gives ‘too much’ to Ukraine
Earlier today, Reuters reported that the US is readying an upcoming assistance package to Kiev worth over $2 billion, which is expected to include this time longer-range rockets and other military equipment.
These longer-range missiles will be delivered to Ukraine for the first time, after several months of rebuffing Kiev's demands to provide it with munitions that can strike deeper into Russian territory.
Yesterday, US President Joe Biden told reporters that the US will not be sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, which Ukraine's leaders have said are at the top of their latest weapons wish list.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said a day earlier that Poland can hand over its F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine only in coordination with other NATO partners.
Likewise, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that he would not rule out France delivering fighter jets to Ukraine, but warned against the risk of escalation in the conflict.
It was also reported that a US arms company is offering to sell the Ukrainian government two drones for a dollar. Kiev would have to pay $10 million for shipment and about $8 million each year for maintenance of the older model drones.
Read more: Spain plans to send up to 6 Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine: Reports
