2024-03-31 08:56:36
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Ukraine should get fighter jets – a reason for Putin to also attack NATO airfields. In principle, he does not plan to attack the alliance.
Moscow – Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated that Russia is not planning to attack a NATO country. At the same time, he issued a clear warning: If the West delivered F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, they would become a target for its armed forces. They will not shy away from an attack on western airfields.
The start of the Ukraine War in February 2022 triggered the most serious crisis in Russia’s relations with the West since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. According to Putin, neither Poland nor the Baltic states nor the Czech Republic need to fear an attack. The Russian president said this in a speech on Wednesday evening (March 27), a transcript of which was published by the Kremlin.
Attack plans are “complete nonsense” – Putin denies that he wants to attack NATO states
The idea that Russia will “attack any other country” is “complete nonsense” and serves “the sole purpose of intimidating the population and sending even more money to Ukraine.” Although NATO has expanded eastward toward Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Moscow has no plans to attack a NATO state. “We have no aggressive intentions towards these states,” Putin assured. At the same time, however, the Russian ruler made it clear that the announced delivery of F-16 fighter jets by the West is a thorn in Russia’s side.
Vladimir Putin is a thorn in the side of the delivery of F-16 fighter jets. © IMAGO/Mikhail Metzel
Ukraine has been trying to get the fighter jets from allied nations for many months. Belgium, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands have now agreed to make around 60 of the aircraft available. A coalition of NATO countries led by Denmark and the Netherlands has already begun training Ukrainian pilots to operate the F-16. “This year there will be new fighter jets in our skies,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed confidence earlier this month. Dmytro Kuleba, the country’s Foreign Minister, recently confirmed once more that they were on schedule, according to the Ukrainian news agency Interfax-Ukraine reported on Wednesday (March 27).
The F-16 can carry nuclear weapons – Russia will take this into account when “planning combat operations”.
With the F-16 fighter jets, Ukraine wants to counter Russian air superiority on the front line; Despite the dense Ukrainian air defense, Russian aircraft have a lead there thanks to their long range. However, according to the Russian president, “this will not change the situation on the battlefield,” as he noted in Wednesday’s speech. They are aware that the F-16 can carry nuclear weapons and will have to take this into account when “planning combat operations”. Ultimately, however, they will be “destroyed, as is already happening with tanks and other weapon systems.”
In order to achieve this, they will not shy away from attacking “airfields in third countries”. As soon as the planes are deployed from there, “they will of course become legitimate targets for us, regardless of where they are,” Putin continued.
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NATO F-16 bases as Russia’s preferred target – does this also put Germany in danger?
This might confirm the fears of the US news portal Politico to verify, that it might be extremely difficult to even get the fighter jets into the air. The bases in particular would certainly be a preferred target for Russian attacks. In addition, the aircraft are easily detected by Russian air defense systems, the portal said in a report at the beginning of March. Repairing them will also be a challenge, and even using unprepared runways might sabotage the delicate aircraft, it said.
If Putin carries out his threat to attack airfields in Western countries from which the F-16 takes off, using the aircraft might also become a problem for Germany. The Federal Republic does not have any F-16 jets and does not provide Ukraine with any aircraft; However, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) said during the debate that they were examining how Germany might help. The Green defense politician Philip Krämer commented Table.Media, what this support might look like. He might “well imagine Germany contributing by sharing airfields, providing compatible missiles and other training and support services,” said Krämer. (tpn)
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