Published: Less than 20 min ago
Russian irritation is great against French President Emmanuel Macron after he said earlier this week that sending warplanes to Ukraine is not out of the question.
– Forgive me, but this is absurd, says Maria Zacharova, spokesperson for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On Monday, President Macron was asked a question about the possibility of French air support for Ukraine and replied that “nothing is excluded in principle”. He also said the weapons would not be “escalating” but would only be used to strengthen the resistance rather than be targeted at Russia itself.
– Is the French president really sure that if weapons, heavy weapons and aircraft are sent to the Kiev regime to carry out combat operations, that it would not lead to an escalation of the situation? says Maria Zakharova.
– I refuse to believe that an adult is governed by such logic.
Ukraine wants planes
According to Ukraine’s leadership, advanced fighter jets, such as the F-16 model, now top the list of desired weapons. On Monday, US President Joe Biden announced that the country will not send F-16s to Ukraine, but the next day the president said he will speak with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyi about the latest demand for advanced weapons.
Germany’s Economy Minister and Deputy Chancellor Robert Habeck has spoken out against a German delivery of fighter jets, The Guardian reports.
“Difference between tanks and fighter planes”
Habeck early supported the delivery of the German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine, but said Tuesday night that “there is a difference between tanks and fighter jets.” According to the minister, a delivery would “probably” be a step too far for the Western allies.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Oleksiy Makeyev, says that Ukraine has not expressed any demand to Germany for the delivery of combat aircraft.