From the Liveblog of
Sunday, March 6, 2022
US, Poland said working on deal to supply Ukraine with Soviet-era planes
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WASHINGTON — The United States is working on a deal with Poland to supply Ukraine with Soviet-era warplanes to bolster Kyiv’s defenses against the Russian invasion, according to US media.
Multiple news outlets report that US officials told them of the possible deal, in which Poland would send Soviet-era aircraft to Ukraine in return for American F-16 fighter jets.
Since Russia invaded 10 days ago, the economic and humanitarian toll of the war has spiraled and officials have reported hundreds of civilians killed.
Weapons, ammunition and funds have poured into Ukraine from Western allies.
“We are working with the Poles on this issue and consulting with the rest of our NATO allies,” a White House official is quoted as saying in reports by the Wall Street Journal and NBC.
Kyiv has urged the West to boost military assistance to the besieged country, including warplanes, with President Volodymyr Zelensky pleading for Eastern European neighbors to provide Russian-made planes that his pilots are trained to fly.
The Ukrainian leader had addressed US lawmakers by video call yesterday, pleading for further funding and an embargo on Russian oil imports.
The Wall Street Journal’s report cites two people on the call, who said Zelensky requested fighter jets after Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell asked the Ukrainian president what he needed most.
The Times of Israel Community.