BREAKING NEWS: After tanks Ukraine now pushes for F-16 fighter jets

Ukraine asks Western allies for fourth-generation fighter jets after securing a deal for battle tanks 

Officials in Ukraine have announced that they will now push for fourth-generation fighter jets from its Western allies, after recently securing supplies of battle tanks.  

This statement was made by Yuriy Sak, advisor to Ukraine´s defence minister who said, “The next big hurdle will now be the fighter jets”. 

The Air Force in Ukraine presently has a fleet of old Soviet-era jets used to intercept and attack Russian forces, that were made before the independence of the country, over 31 years ago.  

“If we get them (Western fighter jets), the advantages on the battlefield will be just immense… It’s not just F-16s, fourth generation aircraft, this is what we want”, said Sak, as cited by Reuters.  

Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, support from the western allies has been crucial for the country, as the recent announcement from Germany and the US to supply the tanks has been a huge boost for its troops. 

The deal to supply the tanks was finalised after facing weeks of diplomatic deadlocks.  

“They didn’t want to give us heavy artillery, then they did. They didn’t want to give us Himars systems, then they did. They didn’t want to give us tanks, now they’re giving us tanks. Apart from nuclear weapons, there is nothing left that we will not get,” Sak added.  

Meanwhile, after the discussion over fighter jets, Jon Finer, US Deputy White House national security adviser made a statement on national television stating that “the United States would be discussing the idea of supplying fighter jets “very carefully” with Kyiv and its allies”.  

He also added, “We have not ruled in or out any specific systems. We have tried to tailor our assistance to the phase of the fight the Ukrainians are in”.  

Ukrainian government believes that the US could play a major role in helping the country secure the supply of fighter jets in the future.

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