NATO nations received the "green light" for the deployment of fighter jets in support of Ukraine in its battle against Russian forces as part of military aid operations, said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday.
Ukraine's desperate need for air support comes as Moscow has assaulted a string of southern cities in the country. The attacks have prompted officials to evacuate residents as the numbers of civilian deaths and displacement continue to rise.
Sending Warplanes to Ukraine
The country's military has continued to use fighter jets, drones, and anti-aircraft systems that NATO nations have supplied to fight against Russian aircraft that were bombing the region. In an interview, Blinken said that the U.S. federal government was in talks with Polish allies to negotiate what they could do to support Ukrainians.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly urged for a no-fly zone designation over his country that has drawn virtually zero international support. In a video address on Sunday, the official said that the world was strong enough to close the skies over Ukraine as he continued his appeals of stronger sanctions against Russia, as per USA Today.
The negotiations underscore the desperate push to find weapons to arm Ukrainian forces as they battle against Russia's invasion. Last week, while Poland weighed sending its warplanes to Ukraine, Warsaw asked the White House if United States President Joe Biden's administration can guarantee its deployment of U.S.-made fighter jets to fill a gap.
In an interview, a White House spokesperson said that the American government was working closely with Poland to address the issue while consulting NATO allies. Blinken said that the U.S. was only waiting on Poland to make a move before it deployed planes to backfill the gap.
According to Yahoo News, in a Twitter post on Sunday morning, the chancellery of Polish Prime Minister Andrzej Duda said that Poland had no plans to transfer the jets, at least officially. They noted that the region has been providing significant support for Ukraine in other areas.
Calls for International Support
There are many Eastern European countries, such as Poland, Bulgaria, and Slovakia, that have retained dozens of Russian-made aircraft in their inventories. Leaders of these nations have been hesitant to deploy the planes without guarantees from the U.S.
Zelensky made a public appeal on Saturday saying that Ukraine needed fighter jets more so than the anti-aircraft missiles that the U.S. has agreed to provide. On Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer referenced the Ukrainian leader's plea.
The official said that he was supportive of the U.S. federal government giving other nations, such as Poland, support if they decide to send warplanes to Ukraine. In reference to the planes, Schumer said that they were needed along with other capabilities to protect Ukraine from Russia.
Schumer added that the American government could commit to helping restore a donor country's fleet in return for the transfer and also offered his support of that idea. He also criticized Moscow for its continued aggression on Ukraine, Fox News reported.
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