Why fighter jets are no longer taboo in Ukraine Netanyahu announces hard line after terrorist attack in Israel

Olaf Scholz is currently traveling through South America. But even there, the German chancellor cannot escape the boring debate about arms supplies to Ukraine. Only last week, after much hesitation, he agreed to supply Leopard tanks, and fighter jets are already being debated.

Both were taboo in Western countries for a long time. The fear that NATO would be drawn into the conflict was too great. As chancellor, he must “do everything possible to ensure that Russia’s war against Ukraine does not turn into a war between Russia and NATO,” Scholz said in an interview with the “Tagesspiegel”.

With the Leopard tanks, he had pushed for a broad alliance, particularly with US participation, which eventually materialized. On the other hand, he described the delivery of fighter jets last Wednesday as a “red line” in the Bundestag. But by that time, the debate on corresponding demands from Kiev had long begun.

Several countries are open

Even in Germany there are increasing reports that fighter jets should not be a taboo for Ukraine. SPD leader Saskia Esken, who belongs to the left wing of the party, did not want to rule out a delivery on Sunday at the ARD. At a media conference in Santiago de Chile, Olaf Scholz was annoyed by this “idiosyncratic” debate.

He cannot prevent them, because in recent days several countries have opened up to a transfer of fighter jets. As so often, Poland, Ukraine’s main supporter in NATO, made the clearest statements. Last week, Minister of Foreign Affairs Wopke Hoekstra announced in the House of Representatives that he was ready to deliver F-16 jets.

Two perspectives in the Pentagon

According to CNN, the Netherlands still has 24 F-16s, which are now being replaced by the modern F-35, which Switzerland has also opted for. A condition for a transfer to Ukraine is permission from the US, says Hoekstra. This could happen soon as Washington does not rule out fighter jet deliveries.

“We are going to discuss this very carefully,” Jon Finer, deputy national security adviser to President Joe Biden, told MSNBC last week. According to the always well-informed portal Politico, there are two views within the Pentagon: some officials want more air defense systems available, while others advocate the F-16.

Russia without air sovereignty

The Lockheed Martin fighter jet has been in service in large numbers for decades. It could give the Ukrainians a significant advantage in defending their airspace and fighting the Russian invaders. So far, neither of the two warring sides has succeeded in gaining air sovereignty over Ukraine.

Russia supposedly has a large fleet of modern fighter jets, but these are used only selectively and in recent times less and less often. This is not least due to the provision of Western air defense systems. These are mainly used for launching Russian missiles and cruise missiles aimed at civilian targets.

List of 50 pilots

According to Politico, the Pentagon is concerned that Ukraine could run out of ammunition. Fighter jets would therefore be a solution, because they too can intercept missiles and drones and, above all, can act much more flexibly. However, analysts warn that the Russian S-400 and S-300 defense systems would have to be disabled for this.

Critics also question whether the Ukrainians will master the F-16 in a reasonable amount of time. However, Kiev has apparently drawn up a list of up to 50 experienced pilots who speak English and can be trained within three months. Many of them took part in joint military exercises with the Americans.

Wide arsenal for Ukraine

As an alternative to the US jet, the transfer of Soviet MiG-29s and Su-27s, already in service with the Ukrainian Air Force, is also under discussion. Slovakia has indicated its willingness to deploy its MiG-29s in Ukraine, and Poland last year offered 28 MiG-29s in exchange for US fighter jets.

The US reacted negatively for fear of an escalation. This inhibition appears to be diminishing. This is also due to the fact that Russia is not ready for serious negotiations to end the fighting. The Kremlin demands as a condition that the annexation of the four regions in the east and south be recognized, which is unthinkable for Ukraine.

Western allies have therefore come to realize that Ukraine needs the widest possible range of modern and efficient weapon systems. Besides the Himars missile launchers, these are also the main battle tanks and aircraft, although they increase the risk of the war spreading to Russia.

The Germans are afraid of this, which is why Olaf Scholz opposes fighter jets and complains about the “constant competition to outbid”. However, the question is whether he can keep his “red line”. Even France, which is very reluctant to supply weapons, received signals last week that fighter jets are not taboo.