Newsweek: Zelensky growing more desperate for fighter jets

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"We have freedom, give us wings to protect it," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told UK Members of Parliament as he toured European countries in hope of securing fighter jets.

According to Newsweek, Zelensky's tour sought to show an "urgency" in the need for aerial support, as the Ukrainians expect a push by Russian forces.

Marcel Van Herpen, director of the Dutch think tank the Cicero Foundation, told Newsweek that "for Zelensky, there was an urgency" for fighter jets, especially with the nearing anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine. 

Herpen claimed that "February 24 is for the Kremlin a symbolic date, the start of last year's failed blitzkrieg."

In his opinion, "Zelensky doesn't want the Kremlin to repair this debacle, but to let them repeat this debacle," and in case the Russians do make such a decision, Herpen said, Zelensky will need fighter jets "because these may be a decisive factor for what happens on the ground."

Former British army intelligence officer Philip Ingram told Newsweek, on that topic, that these calls came after the Ukrainian President upgraded his land forces' capabilities.

"To properly support land manoeuver operations, he needs the ability to generate at least local air superiority, a protective air bubble around attacking land forces," Ingram told Newsweek.

In parallel, Polish sources reported on February 1 that Poland's Deputy Defense Minister Marcin Ociepa said that supplying Kiev with F-16 fighter jets is currently not on the agenda, citing logistic issues.
 
"As of today, this topic [shipping of F-16 to Ukraine] is not on the agenda, if we talk about operational activities and primarily about political decisions," Ociepa told the Polish reporters.

"[Training pilots for F-16 jets would take] many months. If we shorten training, then I think it may take six months. But it will be in a very urgent mode. Normally, it will take more time," he added.

According to Newsweek, however, the Polish decision came amid fears of a large-scale Russian offensive.

Zelensky's fighter jets on the table, but not now

Finland does not rule out providing Kiev with combat jets to send a clear message of support to Ukraine.

"I don’t want to rule out anything in this stage. I think it’s very important that we will send a clear message and signal to Ukraine," Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin told Politico following the European Council summit on Thursday.

On Thursday, the President of the EU parliament Roberta Metsola also called on the EU bloc to consider sending long-range missiles and fighter jets to Ukraine.

Read more: Zelensky admits he never intended to implement Minsk agreements

However, not all EU leaders were as confident of the decision as their counterparts in fears that escalating matters with Moscow might lead to a direct confrontation between NATO/EU and the Russian army.

"There are many sensitive issues to be discussed, the pros and cons," stressed Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni slammed Macron's decision to invite Zelensky to Paris ahead of an EU summit in Brussels.

"Frankly, the invitation to Zelensky yesterday seemed more inappropriate to me, because I think our strength in this fight is unity," she told reporters.

Russia warns the West

The spokesperson for the Russian Kremlin said on February 9, "We [Russia] see this as a growing engagement of Germany, UK, France in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The boundary between indirect and direct engagement is gradually disappearing. We can only regret it."

"The actions of these countries lead to an escalation of tensions... make this conflict more painful... and these actions will not change the objectives of our country within the framework of the special military operation," Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov added.

Read more: NATO 'fear UK drained to take over leadership of rapid reaction front'