BERLIN, August 22. /TASS/. Western countries have crossed another red line in the proxy war with Russia by agreeing to provide Kiev with F-16 fighter jets, said Sahra Wagenknecht, a German lawmaker for the Left Party.

"Once again, the West has crossed a red line in its proxy war with Russia: After the US expressed support for the swift transfer of F-16 fighter jets [to Kiev], the Netherlands and Denmark now want to get them to Ukraine as quickly as possible," she said on Facebook (banned in Russia as it’s owned by Meta Corporation, which is designated as extremist in Russia).

By making the move, the West again "bets on the escalation of the conflict" instead of looking for a diplomatic solution for the Ukrainian issue, the lawmaker said.

She said the endless prolongation of the war through arms deliveries instead of efforts to achieve a peaceful compromise "is not solidarity, but pure cynicism." Wagenknecht said that German analysts concede that supplies of fighter jets will not help Ukraine defeat Russia, and yet they call them "a necessary element to maintain and increase the motivation of the people and troops."

"How long will Ukrainians be motivated to go to their deaths for unattainable goals?" she said. "Until there are no Ukrainians left that capable of fighting?"

Reuters reported on August 18, citing a source, that the US had authorized Denmark and the Netherlands to transfer US-made F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine when the training of Ukrainian pilots is completed. According to the source, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had sent letters to his counterparts in Denmark and the Netherlands with assurances that Washington supports the move, but the report gave no exact dates for the transfer.

On August 20, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky announced a "breakthrough agreement" with Amsterdam on the delivery of 42 F-16 fighter jets to Kiev. Denmark also said it was ready to transfer 19 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, with the first six planes to arrive before the New Year. The Danish Air Force has about 30 fighter jets that will be decommissioned when the country switches to the more modern F-35s. The Dutch Air Force has 42 such aircraft.

Russia has repeatedly said that the West only prolongs the conflict and will not change the situation on the ground by sending weapons to Kiev and providing training to the Ukrainian military.