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UK defense chief rules out immediate transfer of fighter jets to Ukraine

Ben Wallace also dismissed as unrealistic suggestions from former Prime Minister Boris Johnson to provide 100 Typhoon warplanes

LONDON, February 9. /TASS/. There will be no immediate transfer of UK fighter jets to Ukraine, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said in an interview with BBC on Thursday.

"Britain knows what Ukraine needs and is very happy to help in many ways," he said in comments on the call for fighter jets from the president of Ukraine.

According to Wallace, the transfer of combat aircraft to the Zelensky regime would take months, so instead London was focused on the supply of other means of defending Ukrainian airspace, including longer-range missiles and drones.

Wallace also dismissed as unrealistic suggestions from former Prime Minister Boris Johnson to provide 100 Typhoon warplanes. "If I gave away all the fighter jets, and all the tanks, that would mean taking them out of Estonia and taking them out of Britain, and there are lots of obligations here," he pointed out.

The defense chief reiterated that in addition to the UK, Germany, Spain and Italy are also involved in the production of Typhoons, whose consent would be required if these warplanes were to be transferred to Ukraine.

On Wednesday morning, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said ahead of his meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky in London that the UK would expand training for Ukrainian servicemen, "from soldiers to marines and fighter jet pilots." According to the Prime Minister’s office, Ukrainian pilots will develop skills that will allow them to be able to "fly sophisticated NATO-standard fighter jets in the future." Later, Sunak’s spokesperson clarified that the British government would investigate what jets the UK might be able to provide, adding "this is a long-term solution, rather than a short-term capability which is what Ukraine needs most now".

The Russian Embassy in London responded by saying that possible deliveries of UK fighter jets to Ukraine would have military and political consequences for the entire world. The Russian diplomatic mission added that Moscow would find a way to respond to any unfriendly steps taken by the British side.

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Ukraine crisis United Kingdom

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