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Ukraine sets its sight on warplanes

Ukraine is pushing its Western allies to provide it with fighter jets. The move comes a week after winning pledges of sophisticated modern tanks to help Ukraine beat back Russia’s invasion force after almost a year of fighting.

Hi, I'm Nicole Fallert with an update on the Ukraine-Russia crisis.

Ukraine’s defense minister was due in Paris on Tuesday where discussions about the possible delivery of fighter jets to Ukraine was expected to be on the agenda. After months of haggling, Ukrainian authorities last week persuaded Western allies to send the tanks. There was no indication that a decision on warplanes to Ukraine might come any time soon and no sign that Western countries have changed their earlier stance on the issue.

Asked at a news conference Monday if France is considering sending fighter jets, President Emmanuel Macron said “nothing is excluded” as long as that wouldn't escalate tensions or weaken France's armed forces. France has sent Ukraine air-defense systems, rocket launcher units, cannons and other military equipment and has pledged to send armored surveillance and combat vehicles but has stopped short of sending battle tanks or heavier weaponry.

French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, right, and Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov attend a joint press conference Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023 in Paris.
French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, right, and Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov attend a joint press conference Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023 in Paris.

More on the Ukraine-Russia war:

  • Ukraine denied Russian claims that its forces captured a village that could serve as a crucial step for circling Bakhmut. A heated battle for control of the eastern city of 70,000 people has raged for weeks.

  • Croatian President Zoran Milanovic criticized Western nations for supplying Ukraine with heavy tanks and other weapons, saying it will only prolong the war. He questioned why, nearly a year into the war, tanks are now being approved for Ukraine. And he said German tanks will take months to arrive, and U.S. tanks could take a year.

Associated Press contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine sets its sight on warplanes