U.S. Gives ‘Green Light’ To Talk Of Fighter Swap In Ukraine

Under the plan, Poland is considering supplying Ukraine with a number of its older MiG-29 fighters in a move that could possibly be offset by a swap of U.S. fighters, such as F-16s. 

"That gets a green light," U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Sunday morning during an appearance on “Face the Nation.” 

"In fact, we're talking with our Polish friends right now about what we might be able to do to back fill their needs if in fact they choose to provide these fighter jets to the Ukrainians. What could we do? How can we help to make sure that they get something to backfill the planes that they're handing over to the Ukrainians?"

The decision to send fighters would be made by Poland, not NATO, Blinken said on the show. "It’s a sovereign decision by Poland," he said. "If they choose to do it, we want to make sure that we can help them and, again, backfill what they're giving so that they don't have any loss in their own ability to provide security."

U.S. support of Ukraine, however, does not include establishing a no-fly zone over the country, he said.

"The president's been very clear about one thing all along as well, which is we're not going to put the United States in direct conflict with Russia, not have, you know, American planes flying against Russian planes or our soldiers on the ground in Ukraine because for everything we're doing for Ukraine, the president also has a responsibility to not get us into a direct conflict, a direct war with Russia, a nuclear power, and risk a war that expands even beyond Ukraine to Europe," Blinken said. "That's clearly not our interest. What we're trying to do is end this war in Ukraine, not start a larger one."

The move to provide fighter jets as aid to bolster Ukraine's military against Russian forces comes as NATO countries ramp up support on a variety of fronts, including supplies of weapons and more than 17,000 anti-tank missiles, the New York Times reported. U.S. and German intelligence is prioritizing sharing their findings with Ukraine quickly, within about an hour. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also been provided by the U.S. encrypted communications equipment that establishes a secure link to communicate with President Biden, the newspaper said.

In a Zoom call with more than 280 U.S. Congressional members Saturday, Zelensky made a direct appeal for additional U.S. support through the supply of aircraft, weapons and additional sanctions on Russia. 

“This will become Europe’s problem," Zelensky said, warning lawmakers of the potential cost of inaction, according to Politico.

“President Zelensky made a desperate plea for Eastern European countries to provide Russian-made planes to Ukraine,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement following the call, Politico reported. “These planes are very much needed. And I will do all I can to help the administration to facilitate their transfer.”

Discussions of resupplying Ukraine's air defenses come as Russia's quest for air superiority lags amid reported and growing loss in its air force assets. In recent days, Russia's Air Force suffered heavy losses that included strike aircraft, close air support aircraft and attack helicopters, according to numerous unverified reports.

"The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has focused its efforts on repelling enemy missiles and airstrikes, air cover of important (critical) objects of Ukraine and groups of troops," the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a statement on Sunday morning, The Jerusalem Post reported. "In total, as of now, the losses of aircraft of the Russian occupation forces are up to 88 aircraft and helicopters."

On Monday, the list of Russian aircraft destroyed grew longer, according to reports from inside Ukraine.

Ukrainian forces claimed to destroy 30 Russian aircraft on the ground at Kherson Airfield near Odessa, The Kyiv Independent reported Monday. 

"At night, Ukrainian soldiers shelled the Chornobaivka airfield near Kherson. The occupiers decided to partially deploy their fleet there. Thirty enemy helicopters were destroyed, as well as manpower and equipment," Ukraine's Marine Command said in a statement on Facebook, Newsweek reported. Kherson is where Flight Design has shuttered its manufacturing facility in the wake of the invasion.

At least 11 Russian aircraft, 11 helicopters, and two UAVs have been visually confirmed as losses, according to Oryx military analysts in an ongoing report documenting equipment losses:

Losses confirmed include:

Ukraine has lost at least eight aircraft, according to the report.