MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th February, 2023) Ukraine will receive cutting-edge fighter jets such as Eurofighter Typhoon only after the end of hostilities in the country, UK Defense Minister Ben Wallace told German weekly Der Spiegel on Saturday.
Wallace said that no quick fighter jet deliveries should be expected at least at this stage and "almost certainly" in the next six months. Much time will pass before any country sends fighter aircraft to Ukraine, he acknowledged.
This is even more true when it comes to modern aircraft, such as the Eurofighter Typhoon, which will be sent to Ukraine only after the end of the conflict, the UK defense chief said, adding that this is the consensus view of the Western partners.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a European multirole fourth generation fighter designed by a consortium of British, German, Spanish and Italian companies and introduced into operational service in 2003.
Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked the UK parliament to send fighter jets to Kiev. On the same day, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that London would expand the military training mission for Ukrainian soldiers to cover fighter jet pilots and marines. However, Wallace said that training of Ukrainian pilots did not necessarily mean fast delivery of fighter jets to Kiev, and it would "probably" not be complete until "post-conflict."
