UK Not Mulling Supply Of Military Aircraft To Ukraine Seeing It 'Too Escalatory' - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2023) The United Kingdom is not considering the deliveries of military aircraft to Ukraine as this would be "too escalatory," The Telegraph reported on Wednesday, citing Royal Air Force sources.

"Ukraine flies former Russian aircraft so to train on a Typhoon would likely take years. The only option would be for nations with former Russian aircraft to offer such aircraft, such as Poland," the source said, adding that the delivery of aircraft "was seen as being too escalatory."

According to the sources, London has "not ruled out" the delivery of longer-range precision missiles to Ukraine, but it was not being "considered" currently.

Earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on NATO countries to "unlock" the supply of long-range missiles and military aircraft to Kiev. Yuriy Sak, the adviser to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, expressed his confidence in a phone conversation with Reuters that the West would eventually send F-16s and other military aircraft to Ukraine, saying "apart from nuclear weapons, there is nothing left that we will not get.

"

Earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on NATO countries to "unlock" the supply of long-range missiles and military aircraft to Kiev. Yuriy Sak, the adviser to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, expressed his confidence in a phone conversation with Reuters that the West would eventually send F-16s and other military aircraft to Ukraine, saying: "apart from nuclear weapons, there is nothing left that we will not get."

The White House on Wednesday also confirmed the delivery of 31 Abrams tanks and eight M88 recovery vehicles to Ukraine.

Western countries ramped up their military support for Ukraine after Russia launched a special military operation there on February 24, 2022, responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. In April, Moscow sent a note to NATO member states condemning their military assistance to Kiev. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any arms shipments on Ukrainian territory would be "legitimate targets" for Russian forces.