Why does Ukraine want Western jets—and will it get them?
Russia’s air force has not yet gained the upper hand. That could soon change
UKRAINE HAS been asking for fourth-generation Western combat jets pretty much since Russia invaded it in February 2022. But after January 25th, when the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, at last agreed to export Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine (nudged by a matching offer of M1 Abrams tanks from America), the demand has become more insistent. Ukraine wants American F-16s or F-15s, which are both numerous and being phased out by many NATO air forces as deliveries of the stealthy fifth-generation F-35 ramp up. On January 30th President Joe Biden said that America would not supply F-16s. Will Ukraine end up getting them anyway?
This article appeared in the The Economist explains section of the print edition under the headline “Why does Ukraine want Western jets—and will it get them?”
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