US, Poland consider providing Soviet-era planes to Ukraine

US officials said the deal would require White House approval and Congressional action.

The revelations of a possible deal followed a passionate plea by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to help Capitol Hill receive more lethal military aid, especially Russian-made jet fighters that Ukrainian pilots can fly. Mr Zelensky backed a proposal to ban US imports of Russian oil in a video call with members of Congress on Saturday morning.

There were more than 200 House and Senate members on the call, who attended. Mr. Zelensky spoke for about 25 minutes before taking the question.

According to two people on the call, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) asked Mr. Zelensky what he needed most. The Ukrainian president replied with a need for jet fighters. He also established a no-fly zone over Ukraine, but said through a translator, “If you can’t do that, at least get me a plane,” according to a person on the call.

Eastern European allies are in possession of Russian military jets that could potentially be transferred to Ukraine. Sen. Dick Durbin (D., Ill.), No. 2 Senate Democrat, said the US should help make the transfer of the plane possible. He said in a statement, “We must remove every obstacle to providing Ukraine with all possible assistance, including finding a way for the United States to compensate our Eastern European partners who support Ukraine in its Soviet style.” Would like to donate the planes.”

Another MP said in an interview that Congress could direct funds into a pending spending bill to replenish the reserves of European allies.

Mr Zelensky said the jets were more important than the Stinger anti-aircraft missiles that the US had flagged.

A US defense official said other allies are seeking to provide Ukraine with Russian aircraft. US military will backfill with US planes

“We are not standing in the way,” the officer said.

It is not known how many Soviet-era aircraft are available with Poland. Based on sales disclosures, the Polish Air Force already has a fleet of at least a few dozen F-16s.

US officials said there are many “challenging practical questions” including getting the planes to Ukraine. He agreed with Warsaw that providing Soviet-era planes is a “sovereign decision” for Poland and would require details of an arrangement.

“We are working with the Poles on this issue and in consultation with the rest of our NATO allies,” a White House official said.

On Sunday, Poland’s prime minister’s office dismissed reports of a possible arrangement.

“Poland will not send its fighter planes to #Ukraine and also will not allow its airports to be used,” the Chancellor of Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki tweeted. “We offer significant help in many other areas.”

However, two Polish officials close to the issue said Poland would at least consider the proposal Washington was willing to put together.

On Tuesday, Polish President Andrzej Duda said sending jets to Ukraine would risk war between the US-led military alliance and Russia.

At a NATO press conference, he said, “We are not sending any jets to Ukraine because that would lead to military interference in the Ukrainian conflict. We are not engaging in this conflict. NATO is not a party to this conflict. We are supporting humanitarian.” Ukraine with assistance, although we are not sending any jets into Ukrainian airspace,” Mr. Duda said.

It was unclear whether he meant flying Polish-flagged fighter jets over Ukraine with Polish pilots, or donating the planes that Ukrainians would do and fly. But on the same day, Mr. Morawiecki said Poland had no plans to deliver its jets to Ukraine.

After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, former members of the Soviet Bloc inherited arms, ammunition, and other equipment. Ukraine’s military consists largely of Soviet-era weapons.

Asked about Ukraine’s request for a plane, Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said: “We’re talking and working on everything.”

The request, coming as Congress is finalizing the fiscal 2022 spending law that is expected to be the vehicle for new US aid to Ukraine, could complicate those talks. With legislation aimed at passing that law ahead of a Democratic retreat on Wednesday and funding the government that expires on Friday, negotiators will have to decide whether to allow the delivery of planes to Ukraine for $10 billion in additional aid. Whether promotion provisions are included or not.

“President Zelensky made a desperate request for Eastern European countries to provide Ukraine with Russian-made aircraft,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., NY) said in a statement after the call. “There is a great need for these planes. And I will do everything I can to help the administration to facilitate their transfer.”

An underlying tension is whether the arrangement for relocating the jets to Ukraine would result in a more direct participation in the conflict. Some MPs say that will not happen. The petition for planes as well as drones has prompted lawmakers on both sides to urge the Biden administration to do more to facilitate the transfer of Russian jets.

President Biden has said that US forces will not enter Ukraine. And since Russia invaded on February 24, no US aircraft has flown over Ukraine, the Pentagon said. The Biden administration said it would send up to $350 million in additional military aid, including “lethal defensive aid.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., SC) said that the aircraft “Ukrainians can fly without additional training, sitting waiting to be delivered, but there are objections and apparently we are part of the problem.”

The US and members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have opposed direct involvement in the conflict. Mr Zelensky has pushed for a no-fly zone on his country, but Mr Biden and allied leaders have dismissed the move as escalatory. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday that the organization is a defensive alliance that does not want a conflict with Russia.

Rob Portman (R., Ohio) plans to send a letter to the Pentagon asking him to send American jet fighters to Eastern European countries, which will ship Russian-made jet fighters to Ukraine, a Senate aide said. Donate planes.

Mr. Zelensky spoke on the call through a translator using simultaneous translation, so there was little back-and-forth.

At one point, Sen. Joe Manchin (d., W.VA) jumped in and asked about a ban on Russian oil imports, according to the two men. Mr. Zelensky agreed that the US should stop such purchases.

Mr Manchin, who is the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, introduced a bipartisan bill on Thursday that aims to dodge the source of revenue for Russian President Vladimir Putin in a move aimed at defrauding Russian crude oil, petroleum and others. Ban on domestic import of energy products. During his invasion of Ukraine.

According to a person on the call, Ukraine’s president was at times steady and calm and emphatic about what he wanted from US lawmakers from airports, homes and cars.

“It was very clear that he thought what he needed,” said Rep. Jim Himes (D., Conn.), who said Mr. Zelensky looked sharp. “He looked better on a Friday evening than he did on a standard week.”