Britain is considering sending its fighter jets to Ukraine for air cover - The Telegraph
Kyiv • UNN
The British Prime Minister discussed sending Typhoon fighter jets to Ukraine to cover troops in case they are deployed. This is due to uncertainty about US support.
The Prime Minister of Great Britain and military planners discussed the possibility of sending British Typhoon fighter jets to Ukraine to provide air cover for troops if British soldiers enter Ukraine. This is reported by UNN with reference to The Telegraph.
Details
As the publication notes, while French President Emmanuel Macron is considering leading a UN mission and raised the topic at the European Council summit on Thursday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer participated in separate talks in Northwood. They were led by Lieutenant General Nick Perry, Chief of Joint Operations, along with over 30 countries that met to discuss how a coalition of the willing could help Ukraine.
At this meeting, Keir stated that the military planning of the coalition of the willing is divided into sea, air, land, and borders, as well as the reconstruction of Ukraine.
It is vital that we do this work because we know one thing for sure: an agreement that means nothing is what Putin will break. We know this because it has happened before. I am absolutely clear that it will happen again.
How a coalition of the willing can help Ukraine
The Prime Minister has already pledged to deploy British troops to Ukraine if Trump negotiates a peace deal with Putin. So, the meeting discussed the British air cover that would be needed if English soldiers entered Ukraine. Trump, in turn, stated that he would not provide any military support to Ukraine and called for Europe to strengthen its support. The uncertainty about whether the US would provide any air cover in Ukraine prompted Britain to take this initiative.
We hope that an agreement will be reached, but I know that if an agreement is to be made, now is the time for planning. It is not after the agreement is reached.
We would never send British troops to the ground without providing them with air cover.
The Royal Air Force will provide either Typhoons or F35s, as both will provide "excellent air-to-air policing service."
Sir Keir Starmer and John Healey, the Minister of Defense, will soon visit a military base in London.
Why Great Britain?
The publication notes that while all European countries have the ability to send fighter jets, only the US and France can send airborne early warning and control aircraft, which provide crucial surveillance, including missile detection.
According to the source, sending air cover at any time would involve a number of countries working on a rotational basis. But for now, nothing has been fixed or confirmed regarding this.
Britain has already agreed that as part of NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence, it will send six Typhoons to Poland in the coming weeks. This number may increase due to considerations that if Typhoons need to be redirected to Ukraine, they will be in the right part of Eastern Europe.
To ensure the coalition's work, important technical issues must also be determined.
Luke Pollard, the UK Minister for the Armed Forces, raised the pertinent question that any force in or around Ukraine must be as robust as possible.
If one country provides a fast combat jet, such as a Typhoon, how will other countries work with it? Where will this aircraft refuel? How will it work with the capabilities of other countries?
It is important to support our Ukrainian friends in defending their country and their front lines, because this (the transfer of fighter jets - ed.) is primarily intended for support.
Recall
Earlier, UNN wrote that Macron is considering a UN mission as an alternative to sending European troops to Ukraine. Together with Keir Starmer, he is forming a coalition of NATO and EU countries for a peacekeeping contingent.