The case for sending fighter jets to Ukraine
ECFRApr 28, 2023
The leaders of Britain and the Netherlands, Rishi Sunak and Mark Rutte, have agreed to build an "international coalition" to help Ukraine acquire F-16 fighter jets, the British government announced late on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for Sunak's office said the leaders "would work to build an international coalition to provide Ukraine with combat air capabilities, supporting with everything from training to procuring F-16 jets."
Russia is inflicting vast air superiority in the war in Ukraine. If Ukraine is to reclaim its territory and establish an effective missile defense strategy, it must be supplied with modern fighter jets to rival those of Russia.
The more that Western countries provide Ukraine with weapons, the more that Russia considers them as direct participants in this conflict. The West's actions are not only dragging out this conflict but also leading to a serious risk of escalation.
There is a 70% chance that a NATO country will commit to sending at least one F-16 fighter jet to Ukraine before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.