It was updated on Mar 8, 2022.
A proposal to send Soviet-built fighter jets to Ukraine has found support among several U.S. lawmakers.
A Polish Air Force plane.
Zelensky asked for more fighter jets to help fight invading Russian forces and retain control over its airspace in a private video call with U.S. lawmakers on Saturday.
NATO countries had a "green light" to send warplanes to the Ukrainian military, according to the U.S. Secretary of State.
The Ukrainian Air Force uses Russian-made fighter jets that are not used by a lot of NATO air forces.
The U.S. can't give the Ukrainian Air Force any American jets because their pilots aren't trained to fly them.
The U.S. is offering American-made F-16s to Poland as a replacement for its fleet of MiG-29s.
Poland, which operates both U.S. and Russian-made jets, has previously rejected this as Putin has threatened against such a move and replacement fighters for its air force may not immediately be available.
We are talking with our Polish friends about what we can do to backfill their needs if they choose to give these fighter jets to the Ukrainians. What can we do? How can we help to make sure that the planes that they are handing over to the Ukrainians are filled?
At a NATO press conference last week, the Polish President said that they were not going to join the conflict. NATO is not involved in this conflict. Poland, a NATO member, has indicated that they would at least consider a proposal put together by Washington, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The fighter jet transfer plan may have hit a major roadblock as Biden administration officials begin reviewing its feasibility, according to NBC News. According to the report, U.S. officials warned that the delivery of fighter jets is more complicated than the supply of guns and anti tank missiles. The main issue is that the U.S. does not have a surplus of F-16s. This could prevent Washington from quickly filling Poland's fighter requirements. The Polish government has displayed restraint as well, with a government spokesman saying that no decisions have been made on sending planes.
Zelensky has made multiple requests to the U.S. and its European allies to provide more fighter jets for Ukraine as Russia ramps up its aerial bombardment of the country. Zelensky told ABC News that he shared his view with the U.S. President during a call on Monday. Zelensky said that the Ukrainian forces need to shoot down Russian missiles that are targeting civilian infrastructure because they have not been able to establish air supremacy. U.S. officials have said that the Russian Air Force has not yet been able to establish air superiority over the country.
The White House is weighing a 3-way deal to get fighter jets.
Why Poland has not given Ukraine its fighter jets to fight Russia.
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