The UK is aware of the risk if it delivers planes to Ukraine

The British government said on Thursday that it is “aware of the risk of escalation” linked to the eventual delivery of fighter jets to Ukrainian forcesand assured that he acts with “prudence”.

During a surprise visit to London on Wednesday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky asked “powerful English planes” to face the Russian invasion, to which the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, replied that he would study the possibility of providing them “long-term”.

“We made these decisions prudently and after much thought. We are aware of the potential escalation risk”, declared the Sunak spokesman on Thursday, when asked about the reluctance of other NATO countries.

“Everything we do takes potential risks of escalation into account, but once again I would like to stress that it is Russia, not Ukraine or NATO.(…) the one that is causing an escalation of the situation”, he added.

Sunak stressed on Wednesday that he does not exclude “anything” in his military aid to kyiv and that the delivery of planes was “of course part of the discussions.”

The British authorities consider, however, that it would take three years to train the pilotsas the Ukrainian military is familiar with Soviet-designed aircraft and not NATO standards.

“The United Kingdom He has not said that he will necessarily send fighter jets to Ukraine.”, declared British Defense Minister Ben Wallace, visiting Rome. “What was said is that we are going to start training to improve Ukraine’s resilience probably after the conflict,” he added.

The Russian embassy in London promised on Wednesday a “response” if the UK decides to send fighter jets to Ukraine. “I would like to remind those responsible in London: in such a scenario, the bloody harvest of the next cycle of escalation will be on their conscience, as well as the military and political consequences for the European continent and the entire world,” he said.

After deciding in January to supply heavy tanks to the Ukrainian army, kyiv’s Western allies have been reluctant to go a step further by handing over planes. US President Joe Biden in particular has ruled out this option for now. (YO)