Despite Joe Biden’s laconic “no” to the question of whether the US would send fighter jets to UkraineAccording to Politico, the West does not exclude the possibility of satisfying Kyiv’s request for combat aircraft in the future.

Analyzing the actions of the Western allies and the background, he believes that although officials have publicly stated that no aircraft will be sent to Ukraine, the talks behind closed doors show that Kyiv has reason to hope that the receipt of fighters it’s really just a matter of time.

“At the Pentagon, senior US officials acknowledge that Ukraine will need to modernize. aged His Air Force with new fighters – someday. But for now, they are focused on sending the weapons that Kyiv needs immediately,” Politico notes.

Similar discussions are taking place in Europe. Countries such as Poland, the Netherlands and France have shown that they are open to this idea.but officials are focusing on the need for Ukraine to acquire the rest of the weapons promised by the West in recent weeks, breaking some strategic taboos.

“I think this is a long-term issue,” said a senior Eastern European diplomat, stressing that the weapons already promised by the West should be delivered as soon as possible. “Time is of the essence.”

That “no” that later becomes “yes”

Although the mood is still negative, the issue of sending fighter jets to Kyiv is likely to remain in the background and eventually resurface.

This is a recurring pattern of Western alliance since the beginning of the war: What was initially considered forbidden – from German weapons in the war zone to receiving modern tanks from Ukraine – is gradually resolved and implemented as the war with Russia continues. Western commitments are on the rise and equipment that requires serious preparation is now out of the question of support in Ukraine.

“Many people still don’t understand that we are far from the end of the war,” Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Andriy Melnyk told Politico. “In fact, Putin seems to have more “appetite” than ever. Without air support, you cannot fight a modern conflict.”

The Situation Has Changed – Debate Timeline

The scenario of sending fighter jets to Ukraine was discussed from the first days of the war.

Just weeks after Russia sent invading troops into Ukraine, Poland signaled it was willing to hand over Soviet-era fighter jets to the US for Ukrainian pilots.

A stunned Washington then rejected the offer: officials said the training was too difficult and sending planes from a NATO base in Ukraine could lead to immediate conflict with Russia. Then the topic “disappeared”.

Almost a year later, a lot has changed. The “blitzkrieg” bombardment of Kyiv has now turned into trench warfare. A war that many thought would last a few days or weeks might last for years.