BELGRADE, February 11. /TASS/. The world is facing the biggest crisis since World War II, and the biggest escalation of the conflict is expected in the next five or six months, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said during a Prva TV broadcast.
"We are facing the biggest crisis in the world that we’ve seen since World War II. What we had before is almost nothing compared to what is ahead of us. <...> I know there's a big escalation ahead of us, and I hope some people will realize we don't need it. We will see the most serious conflicts in the next five or six months," Vucic said.
According to him, in the near future the conflict in Ukraine will only worsen and expand and eventually become uncontrollable. The president revealed that he believed that after the decision to supply tanks to Ukraine, a decision would be made to supply Ukraine with F-16 jets.
On January 25, the US authorities announced their intention to transfer 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Kiev. On the same day, the German government confirmed that it would send 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and give other countries permission to re-export these vehicles. According to German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, the Leopard 2s will be sent to Ukraine "before the end of March". The UK, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, and France also announced their intention to supply Kiev with Western-made tanks. Kiev expects to receive up to 140 tanks from 12 countries in the first batch.
US President Joe Biden said on January 30 that the US would not supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets. However, the Washington Post reported on February 1 that some Pentagon officials "foresee possible approval" of the F-16 transfer, or the option for Washington's allies to provide Kiev with these US-made aircraft with the permission of the US side.