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French Navy Rafale fighter jets are seen above the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in the port of Limassol, Cyprus, February 21, 2020. Photo/REUTERS/Stefanos Kouratzis
PARIS – French President Emmanuel Macron said the idea of sending fighter jets to Ukraine had not been “excluded”.
Now Ukraine’s Kiev is stepping up its pressure to pressure the West to donate warplanes to its military.
Asked about the possibility of transferring the jets to the Kiev military, Macron told reporters that, “No one is excluded in principle,” according to French news agency AFP.
The president added that Kiev would be prevented from using French jets to attack Russian soil.
Macron was speaking after a meeting with Dutch Prime Minister (PM) Mark Rutte.
Also read: Biden Affirms US Will Not Give Ukraine F-16 Fighter Jets
Rutte told reporters his government saw “no taboo” on sending US-made F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, but conceded it would be a “big step”.
For nearly a year, the idea of sending any jet, let alone a Western-designed one, to Ukraine was deemed too inflated by NATO powers.
However, in a matter of days, that idea has now gone from the “high risk” hypothesis in the Pentagon’s words last March. The idea became a proposal that was being seriously considered.
Also read: Emergency for Russia, Poland will send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine with these conditions
