Russian invasion: US and Poland consider sending Soviet planes to Ukraine – Yahoo News

The United States is working on the possibility of an agreement with Poland to supply theUkraine Soviet-era warplanes in exchange for American F-16 fighter jets, several American media reported on Saturday.

“We are working with the Poles on this issue and we are consulting our other NATO allies,” said a White House official quoted in one of the media.

Kiev is urging Westerners to provide it with military assistance, including planes, to defend against the Russian invasion, which entered its 11th day on Sunday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in particular appealed to Eastern European countries to supply him with Russian-made aircraft Ukrainians know how to fly.

During a virtual exchange on Saturday with elected members of the American Congress, the Ukrainian president called for tougher economic sanctions against Russia, in particular a ban on imports of Russian oil and gas.

876450610001_6299786835001

According to wall street journal (WSJ), which quotes two people who participated in this Zoom exchange, the Ukrainian president also asked for fighter jets when Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell asked him what he needed most.

$10 billion

Elected members of the US Congress have promised to release ten billion dollars in aid for Ukraine during this virtual exchange. But the White House has, at this stage, dismissed the hypothesis of a ban on Russian energy imports, fearing a surge in prices for American consumers already affected by record inflation.

The head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell said last Sunday that EU states were willing to deliver MiG-type fighter jetswhich Ukrainian pilots know how to handle, but the countries concerned, including Bulgaria, Poland or Slovakia, then showed more restraint.

The United States announced last week that it would provide military aid to Ukraine in the amount of $350 million to help Kiev fight off the Russian invasion, the largest aid in the United States history.

Original article published on BFMTV.com