Washington – Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday that NATO members are allowed to send fighter jets to Ukraine while the US and its allies continue their efforts to help Ukraine. defend themselves from the invasion of Russia.
“This has the green light,” Blinken said in an interview with Face the Nation when asked if the Polish government, a member of NATO, could send fighter jets to Ukraine. “In fact, we are talking to our Polish friends right now about what we can do to meet their needs if they actually decide to provide these fighter jets to Ukrainians. What can we do? How can we help make sure they get some thing to fill the planes that are delivering to the Ukrainians? “
- Transcript: Secretary of State Antony Blinken on “Face the Nation”
A White House spokesman told CBS News that the Biden administration is assessing the capabilities it could offer to fill planes in Poland if it decides to transfer planes to Ukraine, but noted that there are several questions arising from the decision to do it, including how planes could do it. be transferred from Poland to Ukraine.
Oksana Markarova, Ambassador of Ukraine to the USA, said “Face the Nation” expects Ukraine to receive fighter jets from Poland “as soon as possible.”
“We are working with our American friends and allies, especially, on the constant supply of all ammunition and anti-aircraft, anti-tank and aircraft to be able to effectively defend our country,” he said.
Ukraine needs more fighter jets “as soon as possible,” says the ambassador
06:49
The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has aroused worldwide support for the Ukrainian people and a united response from the West. US and European allies have provided military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and have imposed drastic sanctions on Russia’s largest financial institutions, Russian oligarchs and senior Moscow officials, including President Vladimir Putin himself and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov, as part of efforts to reduce the country out of the global financial system. Putin said on Saturday that sanctions were “like a war”.
Blinken, who was in Eastern Europe with US allies, said NATO countries and members of the Group of 7 are “working together” to increase pressure on Russia, even through additional sanctions, which will be implemented in the coming days.
“The impact of the sanctions is already devastating,” the secretary of state said. “The ruble is in free fall. Its stock market has been closed for almost a week. We are seeing a recession in Russia. Consumers cannot buy commodities because companies are fleeing Russia, so it is having a big impact. “
However, Blinken noted that Putin is “doubling down and deepening this aggression against Ukraine.”
“I think we need to be prepared, sadly, tragically, for this to continue for a while,” he said.
Markarova said Ukraine is grateful to the West for its continued support, but suggested that the international community should respond more quickly because the Russians are “escalating” their attacks.
“It’s clear after 11 days that we also need everyone to move faster,” he said. Ukraine, he continued, did not provoke any attacks from Russia.
“We were not a threat to Russia unless being a peaceful democracy and living peacefully in your own country is a threat,” he said. “And if so, it’s not just about Ukraine, it’s about Europe and the whole world. It’s not safe.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky participated in a Zoom call on Saturday with U.S. lawmakers, during which he urged them to supply military aircraft to their country and impose a embargo on Russian oil. He also reiterated to lawmakers that it could be the last time they will see him alive, echoing a warning he has issued to European leaders.
When asked if the U.S. is working on a contingency plan to support the Ukrainian government in case something happens to Zelensky, Blinken praised his leadership and indicated that Ukrainian officials are ready.
“Ukrainians have plans, which I will not talk about or go into detail, to make sure that there is what we would call ‘continuity of government’ in one way or another,” he said. “And let me let it go.”
The Secretary of State was adamant that even if the Russian war in Ukraine continues for months, the Ukrainians will prevail.
“Winning a battle is not the same as winning a war. Taking the city is not the same as capturing the heart and mind of the Ukrainians,” he said. “What they have shown with extraordinary courage is that they will not be subject to the will of Vladimir Putin and will be under the thumb of Russia. So if this takes another week, another month, another year, it will, and I know “But the question is, can we end it sooner rather than later with less suffering in the future? That is the challenge.”
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- Ukraine
- Russia
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