Britain may send fighter jets to Ukraine

^{Photo: JANE BARLOW/PA}
If Russia does not object, Britain may send Royal Air Force Typhoon fighters to patrol the skies of Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping mission. The Times reported on Tuesday, February 18, saying that such an option would be easier for London to implement than to attract thousands of troops to the peacekeeping force on the ground.

At the same time, the publication recalled statements by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that the deployment of NATO forces in Ukraine as part of any peace agreement is unacceptable for Moscow. Following talks with the US delegation on Ukraine in Saudi Arabia on February 18, the Russian Foreign Minister stated: "We explained today that the presence of the same NATO troops, armed forces (in Ukraine), but under foreign flags, under the EU flag or under national flags, does not change this course for us."

However, an anonymous source who spoke to The Times and held a high-ranking military position outside the UK said that "this is Russia's position after the first stage of the talks." Journalists concluded from his statements that British ministers are discussing the possibility of providing Ukraine with security guarantees without sending a large contingent of peacekeepers.

A mission to patrol the skies of Ukraine

It is noted that the proposed mission to patrol the skies of Ukraine could be organized on the model of similar NATO missions in the Baltic states. A Royal Air Force source told The Times that he believed this option was more feasible than a no-fly zone over Ukraine, which would require aircraft to patrol the airspace 24 hours a day.

A British government source told the publication that an “air policing” mission would be feasible, but would require a large number of fighter jets, as well as air defense systems to protect them.

“In theory, dozens of Typhoon fighters could be put on standby to repel any Russian attack, while a small land-based peacekeeping force from Britain and other European countries could provide protection on the ground,” the publication wrote. “One source suggested that cross-border attacks could be monitored using sophisticated technology rather than ground forces, but it is unclear how this would be protected from Putin.” Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”