Tanks for Ukraine once seemed unthinkable. Could fighter jets be next?
CNNJan 27, 2023
The Facts
US Pres. Biden has — for the time being — ruled out providing Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets. Asked by reporters at the White House on Monday if the US would provide the aircraft, Biden said, "No."
This comes as Ukraine's defense minister Oleksii Reznikov traveled to Paris to meet with French Pres. Macron and to raise the prospect of warplanes on Tuesday. Earlier, Macron didn't rule out providing warplanes as long as certain conditions were met — including that it did not lead to an escalation, that they would not be used "to touch Russian soil," and that it would not "weaken the capacities of the French army."
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Now that Ukraine has fulfilled its desire for tanks, it is rightly asking for modern fighter jets to replace its long-outdated Soviet-era fighters. While the aircraft will not be a magic bullet, Western partners will continue to discuss Ukraine's needs in order to help them defeat Russia. Whether fighter jets are provided in the coming months is an open question.
Pro-Russia narrative
Irrespective of what weapons Ukraine receives, Russia's special military operation will continue till it meets its intended objectives. Western weapons simply drag out the conflict while increasing the prospect of an escalation into all-out war.
Nerd narrative
There's a 28% chance that there will be a large-scale armed conflict in Russia before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
