Schultz doubles down on sending fighter jets to Ukraine – POLITICO

German Chancellor Olaf Schultz doubled down on Kyiv’s calls for to provide fight plane to Ukraine within the wake of the Berlin settlement to ship fight tanks.

“The query of fight plane shouldn’t be raised in any respect,” mentioned Schulz. interview With Tagesspiegel printed on Sunday. “I can solely advise in opposition to moving into a relentless competitors to outbid one another relating to weapons techniques.”

His feedback come after a senior Ukrainian official mentioned on Saturday that Kyiv and its Western allies have been engaged in “fast-track” talks about presumably sending army plane in addition to long-range missiles to assist struggle the Russian invasion.

Final week, Schultz dominated out offering fighter jets, citing the necessity to forestall additional army escalation. he mentioned on Wednesday, shortly after Germany and america agreed to submit superior tanks For Kyiv’s conflict effort.

Ukraine I renewed his request For fight plane, instantly after Berlin and Washington introduced tanks. Berlin mentioned Germany and its European allies would ship about 80 Leopard 2 tanks.

“If in Germany the following debate begins as quickly as a call is made, it doesn’t look very severe and shakes residents’ confidence within the authorities’s selections,” mentioned Schultz. tagespiegel. Such discussions shouldn’t be held for causes of native political profiling. It is crucial for me now that each one those that introduced their intention to provide fight tanks to Ukraine achieve this.

Mykhailo Podolak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, mentioned on Saturday that Kyiv was in talks with allies in regards to the planes, however that some companions had a “conservative” place on arms deliveries. With out mentioning any companions by identify, he mentioned that this place was “on account of worry of adjustments within the worldwide construction”.

Hans von der Burchard contributed to this report.